Over 20 Russian Baltic Fleet Ships Involved in Naval Drills

Sputnik News

07:25 18.03.2015(updated 09:58 18.03.2015)

The Russia's Western Military District announced that more than 20 ships from the Russian Baltic Fleet participate in the military exercises as a part of the Russian Northern Fleet drills.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – More than 20 ships from the Russian Baltic Fleet are conducting defense drills, the press service of Russia's Western Military District announced in a Wednesday statement.

"At sea, the Baltic Fleet ships merged into several tactical groups and are ready to perform the intended tasks on anti-submarine and air defense," the statement said, adding that artillery fire exercises will also be conducted as part of the drill.

According to the Western Military District, the tactical groups involved in the exercise are composed of diesel-electric submarines, small missile and anti-submarine boats as well as minesweepers and various ships of the auxiliary fleet.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that the Russian Navy had started battle drills in the Barents Sea.

The exercises are part of Russian Northern Fleet snap drills that will last until March 21 and include land, sea and air activities.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered to bring the country's Northern Fleet to full alert in a snap combat readiness exercise on March 16. The drills involve 38,000 military personnel, 3,360 pieces of equipment, 41 ships, 15 submarines, and 110 airplanes and helicopters.

The main goal of the current snap drills is to assess combat readiness of Russian forces deployed in the Arctic region, according to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

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