MOSCOW: Russia announced Thursday that its navy would stage a massive set of exercises involving all its fleets this week and next, from the Pacific to the Atlantic.
This is the latest sign of strength during a surge in military activity during a standoff between the West and Russia.
The drills will be held in the waters directly adjacent to Russia. They also include maneuvers in the Mediterranean, North Sea, Sea of Okhotsk, and Pacific.
The Ministry of Defence stated that they would use 140 warships and support ships, 60 planes, 1,000 units of hardware, and approximately 10,000 service members.
Russian military actions are closely monitored as a troop buildup near Ukraine, and a torrent of hawkish rhetoric rattled the West, sparking war fears. Moscow denies any plans to invade Ukraine.
The ministry posted a Facebook video showing its newest diesel-electric submarine firing a Kalibr cruiser at a target on land from an underwater position in Japan’s Sea of Japan.
It said that the missile hit a coastal target in Russia’s Far Eastern Khabarovsk Region from a distance of more than 1,000km (620 miles).
Separately, China and Russia will hold joint naval drills Friday, according to a public relations official with Iran’s Armed Forces. The semi-official ISNA news agency reported this.
Eric is a professional news editor, writer, and blogger for the last 10 years. He is working with NewsGater as an off-beat news editor cum writer.