Russia has announced that it has conducted tests of its anti-aircraft missile systems at the Ashuluk training ground in the Astrakhan region.

The exercise was aimed to assess the efficacy of the systems to engage and intercept enemy missile strikes.

The Russian military crew of the S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft missile systems, as well as the Pantsir-S anti-aircraft missile and cannon systems, participated in the exercise.

During the exercise, the crew carried out electronic missile launches against simulated targets from stationary equipped positions and as part of a moving convoy.

Additionally, the exercise provided the anti-aircraft gunners with the opportunity to hone their skills.

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In a statement, Russia’s Ministry of Defence said: “Based on the results of the exercise, the exercise management apparatus noted the high operational readiness of the military personnel of the formation to conduct reconnaissance of the air situation, repel sudden airstrikes of a mock enemy, determine the coordinates of targets and their effective destruction both under normal conditions and when the enemy uses electronic warfare.”

The training exercise was conducted to prepare the crew for participation in the strategic command post Kavkaz-2020 exercise.

Earlier this year, Russia started production of S-400 long-range surface-to-air defence missile systems that are set to be delivered to India.

The initial batch of the missile systems is scheduled to be delivered by October. The remaining batches will be inducted to the Indian Air Force (IAF) by 2023.