Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has briefed the country’s President Vladimir Putin on the progress of a surprise inspection of the Russian Navy’s Pacific Fleet, saying that the troops participating in the event are on full combat readiness.
"As for the sudden inspection, in accordance with your [Putin's] decision, an abrupt inspection of the Pacific Fleet has been carried out since April 14. Over 25,000 military personnel, 167 warships and support vessels, including 12 submarines, 89 aircraft and helicopters, have been involved in it," Shoigu said at a meeting with the Russian president on Monday.
The forces and troops participating in the inspection have been put on "full combat readiness," the minister said, adding that with the established restrictions, they began to carry out combat training tasks, control firing and tactical exercises.
Shoigu added that the sudden inspection’s final stage would start on April 18, when warships will work out missile strikes with electronic launches.
Putin, for his part, noted that the first stage of a surprise inspection of Russia's Pacific Fleet was held with flying colors.
"The first stage was indeed held suddenly, at a very high level. I want to express my gratitude to everyone who organized this work," he said.
The president also asked the defense chief to carry out these surprise inspections in the Russian Navy’s other fleets.
"I ask you, by all means, to continue this work, and to also focus on the development and preparation of similar events in other fleets," Putin said.
Putin stressed that Russia has explicit priorities for the use of its armed forces, primarily, in Ukraine, where Moscow’s special military operation is underway.
"It is obvious to us that today we have clear priorities for the use of the armed forces, and above all, this concerns the Ukrainian direction and everything related to the protection of our people in the Donbass region, [and] in the other new [Russian] territories," he pointed out.
The Russian president noted that nobody has shelved the objective of building up the fleet.
"Separate elements of the fleet’s forces, of course, can be used in conflicts in any direction. So I ask you to keep that in mind as well," Putin added.
Last week, ships and submarines of Russia's Pacific Fleet were sent to sea as part of a surprise check of the fleet's combat readiness, according to a video released by the Russian Defense Ministry. Earlier, the top military brass said in a statement that the fleet had been put on the highest level of alert for the combat readiness inspection.
"The Pacific Fleet’s warships, boats and support vessels left their permanent deployment points and embarked on transition and operational deployment in the designated areas of the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea to carry out tasks as part of strike, anti-submarine and mine-sweeping groups, as well as landing detachments ships as part of a sudden check of combat readiness," the statement pointed out.