Ukrainian-Russian Naval Exercise Being Held in Black Sea

A joint Ukrainian-Russian naval exercise coded Peace Channel-2003 is being held in the Black Sea.

As RIA Novosti was told in the press service of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, the manoeuvres will last three days on the territories of the training centre of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation (Gollandia settlement) and the sea landing proving ground (Kazachya Bay). Carrying out of peace-keeping operation in a natural calamity area is being polished up in the course of the exercise. It will be held in four stages.

In the course of the active phase of the manouevres the Ukrainian and Russian military seamen will work on the questions of boarding of landing ships by peace-keeping forces, air and anti-ship defence, and guard and defence of lying out ships. An artillery fire exercise will also be held. Besides that, dropping of a peace-keeping landing force onto an unequipped coast by a combined method, setting up of a security zone, and giving humanitarian aid in the place of destination are also planned.

As many as 12 warships and auxiliary craft, aircraft and helicopters, 16 units of armoured hardware, and about 1,000 servicemen, among them about 200 Marines, of units and formations of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation and of the Navy of Ukraine are used in the exercise.