This week saw Russia and Belarus put their armed forces through their paces in joint military exercises titled Zapad (West) 2013. This RIA Novosti photo essay depicts the marine part of the exercises at the Khmelyovka training center in Russia’s Kaliningrad Region.
Russian President – and Commander in Chief of the Russian Armed Forces – Vladimir Putin called off the scheduled airdrop of units of the 76th Airborne Assault Division during the strategic military exercises, citing bad weather.
Although the soldiers were ready to parachute to the ground together with their equipment, Putin, who was watching the exercises as Commander in Chief, called off the assault landing for safety reasons, prompted by extremely unfavorable weather conditions. A squall hit the training center from the sea, with wind gusts of up to 20 meters per second.
Under the exercise scenario, an illegal paramilitary unit of up to 700 militants had seized a coastal strip with small populated areas. To represent these areas, villages named Yermolovka and Trofimovka had been built at the training center in the run-up to the exercise. The terrorists had prepared thoroughly and long in advance to defend their camp. They had mined approaches to the camp, and it later turned out that they had both air and sea support.
Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu watched the Russian-Belarusian Zapad 2013 military exercises at the Khmelyovka training center in the Kaliningrad Region.
The Khmelyovka training center is located near the Baltic coast, 12 km north of Baltiisk, the main base of Russia’s Baltic Fleet and Russia’s westernmost city. Russian territorial waters extend for 12 nautical miles beyond Baltiisk.
During the exercises, the terrorists faced an all-out surprise counterattack. Mil Mi-8 Hip helicopters conducted a tactical airborne assault landing behind enemy lines. Ship guns and coastal artillery fired on ships supplying weapons to the terrorists. At the same time, Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker-E/F fighter aircraft and Mil Mi-24 Hind helicopter gunships strafed the militants.
At the same time, frogmen and commandos in speedboats and helicopters stormed a terrorist-held ship with hostages onboard.
Landing craft stage an amphibious landing during the Russian-Belarusian Zapad 2013 military exercises.
Participants in the Russian-Belarusian Zapad 2013 military exercises.
Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the results of the Russian-Belarusian military exercises, and called them another step toward ensuring the interoperability of the armed forces of the Union State (Russia and Belarus).
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko traveled together by helicopter to the training center. They were welcomed at the helipad by the chief of Russia’s General Staff, Valery Gerasimov. Lukashenko was accompanied by his young son Nikolai, dressed in military uniform.
