#3 - RW 271
Russia completes largest military drill in 15 years off Pacific coast
August 27, 2003
AFP

Russia completed Wednesday its largest military exercise in 15 years with the firing of missiles off the coast of the Kamchatka fareastern peninsula, a military spokesman said.

Twelve missiles were fired at floating targets from nuclear submarines, ships and bombers, the spokesman said.

Some 75 Russian vessels, including five nuclear submarines, over 20 aircraft and around 30,000 troops and civilian experts have conducted 10 days of exercises and are to return to their bases Thursday.

A joint drill Monday with Japanese and South Korean ships saw participants tackle the consequences of a mock explosion on an ice-breaker. US ships had also been scheduled to take part, but their arrival was delayed by bad weather.

Canadian, Chinese and South Korean military observers also monitored a wargame that saw some 100 Islamic "terrorists" seize control of a coastal slice of territory on the Russian fareastern mainland. Russian marine and army paratroopers backed up by aircraft and navy vessels fought off the "terrorists" in the Primorye region neighbouring North Korea.

Two Mi-24 helicopters that had been taking part in the exercise Tuesday collided as they were about to land at their base in Russia's Far East, killing five people and seriously injuring another person.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, who attended the exercise, said it had been carried out "not only in the interest of Russia, but (also) of North Pacific countries."

He said the manoeuvres would be repeated next year, possibly on an even larger scale.

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