As the military exercises "Shield" come to a close, the "Southern" forces, consisting of a naval fleet, marines, and an airborne regiment, prepare to attack the "Northern" forces defending an airfield with a coastal battery, motorized rifle regiment, and a security battalion.

"Northern" saboteurs infiltrate the "Southern" perimeter by hiding in a grain transport vehicle and capture the Southern airborne regiment's chief of staff, along with classified documents, disarming Lieutenant Tarasov (played by Boris Galkin) and Warrant Officer Volentir (Mihai Volontir) in the process.

In response, the Southern command deploys a diversionary squad behind Northern lines, including Tarasov, Volentir, and two marines: Shvets (Vadim Spiridonov) and Zinovyeva (Elena Glebova).

The team captures Northern Colonel Moroshkin (Anatoly Kuznetsov), who turns out to have intentionally exposed himself while hiding a radio beacon on his body.

Eventually, the Southern commander reveals that the captured documents were a ruse, orders the team to return, and a climactic chase ensues, resulting in Volentir’s injury and a Northern vehicle sinking in a swamp.