Russia Deploys Three Flagships for Far East Navy Drills

The Russian Navy has deployed three flagships to the Far East to participate in large-scale naval drills in the Sea of Japan next month.

Vessels participating in the navy drills include the Russian Black Sea fleet flagship Moskva missile cruiser, Northern Fleet flagship Pyotr Veliky, a nuclear-powered guided-missile cruiser and the Pacific Fleet flagship Varyag guided-missile cruiser, according to Rianovosti.

A navy spokesman said that the warships of the three Russian fleets would sail to the Sea of Japan to complete combat training tasks and hold naval drills.

As part of the navy drills, the three warships will conduct live firing at naval and aerial drones, and practice combat interoperability and simulated attacks by hostile submarines and aircraft.

The navy drills are part of the biennial Vostok strategic exercises in Siberia and the far east of Russian scheduled for June-July.

The exercise also involves land drills from the Far Eastern, Siberian and Volga-Urals military units, practising the deployment of additional troops to the region in case of a military conflict.