Russian Navy Hovercraft Storming Tourist Beach Caught On Video

Amusing posts regarding Russia such as this collection of pictures from Russia on 9gag have become a fairly common occurrence on the internet ... all in good spirit though. In another bizarre and rather amusing incident, a huge 550 ton military hovercraft landed amidst hundreds of sunbathing locals at a beach.

Amateur video captured the scene, which showed the massive craft slipping onto the beach, amid a crowd of bathing-suit-wearing beach-goers. The people at the beach seemed surprisingly calm. Some remained seated even as the hovercraft approached the beach.

Maybe that’s just how the Russian navy rolls; grab a hovercraft and take it off to the nearest beach for a fun day out for the lads. (Let's not, for once, blame the vodka).  

No one was injured, although witnesses said beachgoers were surrounded by paratroopers and asked to move on.

On a more serious note, a spokesman for the Russian defense ministry told local newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda that the hovercraft was on a tactical mission in an area owned by the military.

"Docking at the beach ... is a normal event," a spokesman was quoted as saying. "What people were doing at the beach on the territory of a military (base) is unclear."

However, the newspaper said the base the ministry was referring to was in Khmelevka, several kilometers away.

The hovercraft itself is believed to be a Russian Navy Zubr-type crafts that are manufactured in St. Petersburg. They weigh around 550 tons and are approximately 60 meters long. Despite its size and weight the machine can still travel at speeds of up to 60 knots (110kmh, 68mph).

Definitely not meant for partying purposes or for field trips.