Russia’s Pacific Fleet was conducting unexpected drills to test its combat readiness, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu confirmed.
The country’s naval forces were put on high alert last Friday morning for unplanned combat exercises, which also involved part of Russian aerospace forces, as well as military and support units, he said, adding the main goal of the operations was to “increase the ability of the armed forces to repel the aggression of a potential enemy from the oceans and seas.”
The exercises were conducted in three stages: first, naval forces entered a state of combat readiness; second, permanent readiness forces were deployed to combat training areas; and third, the forces performed combat training tasks, said Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov.
Warships, boats and support vessels of the fleet “have left their permanent deployment points and have begun operational deployment in the designated areas,” the defense ministry said in a statement.
