"The active phase of exercises for fighter aviation has begun in northwestern Russia today…in the skies above Lake Ladoga," press service head Col. Oleg Kochetkov said.
The airfield is located on the outskirts of St. Petersburg.
Week-long combat exercises began in the country's northwest on Tuesday, where over 50 jets, including the Sukhoi Su-34 and Mikoyan MiG-29SMT fighter aircraft, shot live ammunition and launched guided missiles as part of combat simulations.
The Western Military District's air defense and air force formations are expected to practice finding and destroying aerial targets, electronically launching rockets and practicing around-the-clock cooperation this week.
Meanwhile, this year's main military strategic training event, the Tsentr-2015, will take place in Russia's Central Military District in September, First Deputy Defense Minister Gen. Arkady Bakhin told journalists earlier on Wednesday.
