Putin attends large-scale naval drills in Black Sea

Russian President Vladimir Putin attended major drills of the Russian Black Sea and Northern Fleets on Thursday, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The ministry's Zvezda broadcasting service said Putin observed launches of missiles, including the Kalibr cruise missiles and the Kinzhal hypersonic ballistic missile, aboard the Marshal Ustinov missile cruiser off the coast of Crimea.

The Kinzhal system, developed on the basis of the modernized MiG-31 jet, is designed to hit land and sea targets at a range beyond 2,000 km without entering the enemy's air defense zone.

Over 30 ships, including the newest Admiral Grigorovich and Admiral Makarov frigates, one submarine and more than 40 aircrafts, including Tu-95MS strategic bombers, Su-30SM fighters and Su-24M bombers, were involved in the drills, Zvezda said.