Russia kicks off massive war games in Crimea and across all of Russia

On Thursday, April 22, Russia's Defense Ministry said that more than 10,000 servicemen were taking part in the active phase of the joint-force military exercises on the peninsula. As many as 1,200 units of weapons and military equipment from the combined arms formation of the Southern Military District, the Black Sea Fleet, the Caspian Flotilla and Airborne Forces are involved in the war game, including more than 40 warships and 20 support vessels. Russian Ministry of Defense Sergei Shoygu arrived in the Crimea. The minister inspected from the air the areas of the deployment of military formations and equipment from the air and checked the readiness of sea and land groupings.