How to ambush an Arctic seaport. Russian marines stage a show

As Russia this week launched the huge Zapad-21 exercise, a force from the Northern Fleet engaged in training in the far northern Taymyr Peninsula.

In a carefully staged show, marines attacked the seaport of Dudinka, the town that is a crucial logistical hub for mining and metallurgy company Nornickel.

The soldiers attacked from the sea, air and land in what the Northern Fleet commanders say is the first ever exercise on how to liberate a seaport from enemy forces. Involved were Ka-27 helicopters, speedboats, ATVs. From the nearby waters of the Yenisey River was provided gun fire by Severomorsk, the Navy destroyer.

Like in an unacclaimed motion picture, video footage provided by the Northern Fleet show marines tiptoeing around the port area before attacking their objects.

The training is part of a bigger exercise that will unfold on several sites along the Russian Arctic coast. According to the Northern Fleet press service, about 8,000 troops are taking part in the training that will take place on shooting ranges in the Kola Peninsula, as well as in the Barents Sea, Kara Sea and Laptev Sea.

Russian forces deployed in the bases at Franz Josef Land and the New Siberian Islands will participate and the drills also include training on the protection of communications systems along the Northern Sea Route, the Navy informs.

Involved will be about 800 various kinds of military vehicles and tanks, 120 air force units and up to 50 different vessels.

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The drills can be seen as part of the Zapad-21, the Russian-Belarus military exercise that officially started on the 10th of September. The drills include about 200,000 soldiers, and is believed to be the largest military exercise in Europe in nearly 40 years.