This is the moment Russian army engineers blow up ice with TNT to get a river flowing again.

The explosion was carried out during a military exercise near the capital Moscow to mark the 321st anniversary of the creation of the Russian engineering military forces.

The footage was shared online by the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD), which said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: “In the Moscow Region, engineering units of the Guards Tank Army of the Western Military District (ZVO) took part in a special tactical exercise.”

The MoD explained that the event was to commemorate the army’s engineering corps founding over 300 years ago. They said: “The event is dedicated to the 321st anniversary of the founding of the engineering troops.”

The soldiers used over 75 kilogrammes (165 lbs) of TNT to dynamite the ice and allow the river to begin flowing again.

The MoD said: “About 10 demolition teams carried out work to free the rivers from ice. More than 75 kilogrammes of TNT was used to damage the ice. Floating transporters, towing and motor boats and a pontoon bridge were used to guide the crossing. The crossing was organised for the transfer of automotive and tracked vehicles.”

The soldiers also engaged in other exercises, including clearing a road of mines. The MoD said: “In addition, during the exercise, military personnel, with the help of mine detection dogs and an IMP-2 induction mine detector, checked and cleared about seven kilometres of roads.”

The exercises included over 600 soldiers and 200 weapons, along with various tools and equipment, with the MoD saying: “In total, more than 600 military personnel and over 200 weapons, military and special equipment of the engineering units of the tank army of the Western Military District were involved in the exercise.”

The exercise comes as tensions escalate between Russia and the United States over the Ukraine, with Western governments concerned over a buildup of Russian troops on the Russia-Ukraine border.