Russian navy starts extensive drills involving majority of its fleet

The Russian navy began scheduled exercises involving a significant portion of its fleet, including 20,000 personnel and 300 ships, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on July 30.

The drills are designed to assess the military command structures of three fleets and the Caspian Flotilla. The Northern Fleet in Russia's Arctic, the Pacific Fleet in the Pacific Ocean, the Baltic Fleet in the Baltic Sea as well as the Caspian Flotilla in the Caspian Sea will participate in the drills

Russia's Navy consists of a total of four fleets - the Northern Fleet, the Pacific Fleet, the Baltic Fleet, the Black Sea Fleet, as well as the Caspian Flotilla, and various task forces.

Approximately 300 surface ships and boats, submarines, and support vessels, along with around 50 aircraft and over 200 units of military and specialized equipment, will participate in the combat training exercises, according to the ministry's report.

Over several days, the crews of ships, naval aviation units, and coastal troops from the three fleets and the Caspian Flotilla will conduct over 300 combat exercises involving practical weapon use. These exercises will include anti-aircraft missile launches, artillery firing at sea, and targeting training for aerial and maritime targets, the ministry said.

Since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has carried out numerous military exercises both independently and in collaboration with countries such as China and South Africa. In the past two months, Russia has also conducted a series of drills involving mobile nuclear missile launchers and the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons.

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The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk