MOSCOW, August 6. /TASS/. The Baltic Fleet’s logistics troops have kicked off a special exercise both at sea and on the ground in the westernmost Kaliningrad Region as part of the Russian Navy’s Ocean Shield-2019 large-scale naval maneuvers, the Fleet’s press office reported on Tuesday.

"At specially organized posts in the field, the operational combat and automotive hardware is being fueled with fuel and lubricants. In addition, at the bases and naval training ranges, specialists of logistics structures have established measures with the support of auxiliary fleet vessels to supply warships accomplishing training missions at sea with sea-launched weapons and provide for their loading," the press office issued a statement.

The logistics troops will also carry out special tactical drills to equip the assembled posts of notionally damaged hardware, evacuate and repair battle-damaged combat vehicles at specially constructed workshops. The logistics personnel are also building pontoon bridges over water obstacles to promptly deploy military hardware, the statement reads.

The drills of the Baltic Fleet’s logistics troops will last until the end of the week. The exercise involves over 1,000 troops and civilian specialists, and more than 200 items of various military and special hardware.

The Russian Navy kicked off the Ocean Shield large-scale naval drills in the Baltic Sea on August 1. The naval maneuvers that will last through August 9 involve 49 warships and combat craft, 20 support vessels, 58 aircraft of the Navy and the Aerospace Force and over 10,600 personnel.

The naval grouping involved in the maneuvers mostly comprises warships and vessels that took part in Russia’s Main Naval Parade in St. Petersburg and Kronshtadt on July 28. The drills will practice the operations of the Navy’s inter-fleet grouping and check the Russian Navy’s preparedness to defend national interests.