国际英语新闻:Ukraine holds air defense exercises on border with Crimea

KIEV, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine's Armed Forces' air defense brigades performed combat missions on the border with Crimea, the press service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on their official Facebook page on Wednesday.

"According to the plan of comprehensive training, the air force learned about the take-off of unmanned aerial vehicles from the enemy's territory and transferred the coordinates of the targets to the command post of the group of troops. Certain forces and means were used to destroy the enemy. In addition, to suppress further enemy attempts to conduct reconnaissance to destroy its locations, a unit of Smerch rocket launchers was used in the exercise," said the commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant-General Serhiy Nayev.

During the exercises, Ukraine's artillery units performed several dozen training and combat exercises.

Smerch heavy multiple rocket launchers and Osa short-range tactical surface-to-air missile system were used during the military drills.