Northern Fleet shows off along Kola coast

The annual Russian exercise that takes its name after the energetic and sturdy sea trout (“Kumzha”) this year included at least 11 vessels and several aircraft.

The exercise is every year held in the presence of representatives of the Military Academy of the Russian General Staff. Among them are normally several admirals, generals and other high-ranking colonels.

Representatives of the Military Academy of the Russian General Staff observed the Kumzha-2024. Photo: Northern Fleet

This year, the Kumzha included five training scenarios, among them counteraction against fast-sailing enemy motor boats, search and attack of enemy submarines and air defence drills, the Northern Fleet informs.

A video of the exercise shows how sailors fire rounds with machine guns against three approaching motor boats, not unlike a Ukrainian sea drone attack on Russian vessels in the Black Sea.

Included in the training was also two minesweepers’ escort from base of two large warships, as well as a rescue operation of sailors in distress.

The drills were held shortly after a major search and rescue exercise in the Motovsky Bay, the waters located to the west of the Rybachy Peninsula on the Barents Sea coast. The Exercise Barents was headed by the Marine Rescue Service of Murmansk in cooperation with FSB Border Guards and the military Northern Fleet. Previously, Exercise Barents was organised in cooperation with Norwegian authorities.