Russian President Vladimir Putin has put the nation’s Northern Fleet in the Arctic on “full alert” for drills that will take place through Friday, state-run media reported.
Moscow’s decision coincides with NATO exercises, although officials deny that the timing of Russia’s drills is linked with tensions over the annexation of Crimea and unrest in eastern Ukraine.
“The main task of the [of the drills] is to assess the armed forces from the Northern Fleet’s capabilities in fulfilling tasks in providing military security of the Russian Federation in the Arctic region,” said Russian Defense Minister Gen. Sergey Shoigu, CNN reported Tuesday. “New challenges and threats of military security demand the further heightening of military capabilities of the armed forces and special attention will be paid to the state of the newly formed strategic merging [of forces] in the North.”
Russia’s military drills will involve 38,000 troops, 41 ships, 15 submarines and 110 aircraft, CNN reported.
“The practice of snap checks will become regular, as it is beneficial for improving the mechanisms of control and operation of the armed forces. This is an absolutely regular process of the armed forces’ operation, of preparation and development of Russia’s armed forces,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday, CNN reported.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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