These images show Russian troops rehearsing a D-Day-style landing in Crimea which they annexed from the Ukraine in 2014.

The footage shows anti-tank defences set up along the beach as infantry soldiers storm it. It then shows a soldier crawling along the ground with what appears to be a mine detector, before showing a number of vessels disembarking troops on the shore.

The front of one vessel opens up up and soldiers run out, taking the beach as a larger vessel can be seen at sea in the background.

The footage then shows the larger vessel, with the front of it opening up to release a tank.

The footage then shows other tanks and armoured vehicles being deployed on the beach as reinforcements for the soldiers, after the infantry secured their position.

The armoured vehicles can then be seen taking the dunes as the footage ends.

The footage of the exercise, which was not dissimilar to how the beaches of Normandy was stormed by the Allies in World War II, was shared online by the Russian Ministry of Defence, who said (in Russian): “The forces of the Black Sea Fleet with attached subunits of the combined arms army of the Southern Military District conducted a tactical exercise to defend the coast during the landing of amphibious assault forces at the Opuk combat training ground in the Crimea.

“As part of the exercise, the Marine Corps units, under the cover of the naval forces of the fleet, disembarked from large amphibious ships, fought for the landing, occupied the coastal sector and advanced deep into the positions of the conditional enemy.”

In a statement published on its website, the Russian Ministry of Defence said: “At the Opuk combat training ground in the Crimea, the forces (troops) of the Black Sea Fleet with attached units of the combined-arms army and aviation of the Southern Military District (YuVO) conducted a bilateral brigade tactical exercise to defend the coast during the landing of amphibious assault forces.

“As part of the exercise, the Black Sea Fleet marines on the BTR-82A, under the cover of aviation and naval forces of the fleet, disembarked from large amphibious ships, fought for the landing, occupied the coastal sector and advanced deep into the positions of the conditional enemy.

“The defending subunits, in turn, using missile and artillery subunits, carried out the suppression of naval artillery and struck at the landing subunits during their landing on the shore.

“Then the anti-amphibious defense artillery continued to defeat the landing ships of the landing enemy, and operational-tactical aviation, as part of the Su-34 aircraft, attached to the defending troops, also worked for naval targets.

“The units of the coastal defense formation of the army corps of the Black Sea Fleet, as well as tank, artillery and motorized rifle units of the combined-arms army of the Southern Military District (YuVO), played the role of defense units.

“In the final stage, the participants in the exercise worked out actions to change firing positions, regroup missile, artillery and tank units under the cover of aerosol camouflage.

“The exercise is carried out according to the general plan and as part of a control check of the troops (forces) of the district for the 2021 academic year under the leadership of the commander of the Southern Military District, Army General Alexander Dvornikov.

“In total, about 8,000 servicemen were involved in the command and staff exercises with the formations and formations of the Southern Military District, about 350 units of weapons and military equipment from the combined arms armies, air force and air defense formations, formations and units of the combat arms and special forces of district subordination, forces The Black Sea Fleet and the Caspian Flotilla.”

Russia annexed Crimea from the Ukraine in February and March 2014 in an incident which has been widely condemned around the world, also drawing criticism from the United Nations.

In World War II, the beaches of Normandy was stormed by a large infantry force put together by the Allies, and once they were secured, at a heavy cost in human lives, tanks and other machinery disembarked to consolidate their position.