TSAMTO, April 17. Russian Defense Minister General of the Army Sergei Shoigu reported to President Vladimir Putin about the exercises in the Pacific Fleet, the Kremlin's press service reported.
Vladimir Putin: I'm listening, Sergey Kuzhugetovich, you wanted to report on the exercises in the Pacific Fleet, right? You are welcome.
Sergei Shoigu: Yes, Vladimir Vladimirovich, I am on a sudden check.
In accordance with your decision, a surprise inspection of the Pacific Fleet has been carried out since April 14. It involved over 25,000 military personnel, 167 warships and support vessels, including 12 submarines, 89 aircraft and helicopters.
The forces and troops participating in the inspection have been put on full combat readiness, and they have started performing combat training tasks with the established restrictions. Control firing and tactical exercises are conducted with them, issues of interspecific interaction are being worked out.
The anti-submarine forces on duty conducted a search for submarines on the approaches to Peter the Great Bay and Avacha Bay. Naval aviation of the Pacific Fleet is dispersed at operational airfields. The aircraft of the long-range Aviation Command have been relocated to advanced airfields.
The second stage of the surprise inspection is currently underway. The formed group in the far sea zone makes the transition to the southern part of the Sea of Okhotsk with the tasks of combat maneuvering and opening the underwater situation.
The issues of ensuring the combat stability of strategic missile submarines and their readiness for the use of weapons have been worked out. A tactical air defense exercise has been launched. To designate the enemy, naval aviation aircraft are involved.
From April 18, we will begin the final stage of verification, during which the ship's strike groups, together with coastal missile divisions, will work out the tasks of launching missile strikes with electronic launches.
The fleet forces will conduct exercises to search for and destroy enemy submarines and ship groups, carry out practical artillery firing at air and sea targets. Strategic missile carriers will make flights to the central part of the Pacific Ocean with simulated strikes on the ship groups of a conditional enemy.
Upon completion of the inspection, the fleet forces will return to the points of permanent deployment.
The report is finished.
Vladimir Putin: Sergey Kuzhugetovich, it is obvious to us that today we have clear priorities for the use of the Armed Forces, and first of all it concerns the Ukrainian direction and everything related to the protection of our people in the Donbas, in other new territories.
But no one has canceled or removed the tasks of developing the fleet, including in the Pacific Theater, and therefore I ask you to continue this work, of course, to pay attention to the development and preparation of similar events in other fleets as well.
And among other things, of course, the forces of the fleet in its individual components can certainly be used in conflicts in any direction. Therefore, I ask you to keep this in mind too. As a matter of fact, both the Ministry of Defense as a whole and the General Staff are doing this, I know.
And the first stage of the surprise check really passed at a very high level. I want to express my gratitude to everyone who organized this work.
Sergei Shoigu: Thank you, Vladimir Vladimirovich, I will tell you.
The transcript is given in the statement of the Kremlin press service.
