Russia holds large scale military drills in south

Russia's air force holds large-scale exercises including with fighter jets in the country's south, as Russian President Vladimir Putin makes beefing up the military a national priority.

Russia's Defense Ministry held aviation training exercises with combat helicopters and fighter jets in southern Krasnodar region on Friday (April 22), as part of ongoing large-scale drills in the country.

The drills saw crews show off their combat readiness by carrying out combat takeoff and landing, conduct missile launches and target ground targets.

Air force drills were also simultaneously held in Rostov region, Stavropol region and the annexed Crimean peninsula.

The Southern Military District's drills involved more than 600 troops and military aircraft including the Ka-52 combat helicopter, the Mi-8 helicopter, the Su-25SM aircraft and the Su-34 fighter bomber.

The aircraft took off from an air base in the town of Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Krasnodar region and flew over landfills in the south, where live-fire exercises were carried out focused on detection and destruction of ground, surface and air targets. The maneuvers also looked at defense tactics and enemy fire evasion.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has made beefing up the military a national priority.