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Putin hails navy’s performance in Pacific drills

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Monday reported to President Vladimir Putin about drills conducted by the Pacific Fleet. In footage broadcast on state television, Shoigu was shown saying that the drills included “imitation strikes on enemy navy groups” in the Pacific. Putin responded by saying that snap checks had shown the Pacific Fleet, which is based in Far Eastern Russia, was at a high level of readiness, and that Russia’s priority was Ukraine. The drills are occurring while Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu is visiting Moscow. On Sunday, he held a meeting with Putin. The Associated Press has the story:

Putin hails navy’s performance in Pacific drills

Newslooks- MOSCOW (AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday hailed the military’s performance during massive naval drills that have involved the entire Russian Pacific Fleet — a show of force amid the tensions with the West over the fighting in Ukraine.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to Putin that the exercise that began Friday involves 167 warships, including 12 submarines, 89 aircraft and 25,000 troops.

As part of the drills, Russia’s nuclear-capable long-range strategic bombers will “fly over the central part of the Pacific Ocean to imitate strikes against groups of enemy ships,” Shoigu said.

In this handout photo taken from video released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, April 14, 2023, a Russian nuclear submarine sails off to take part in the Pacific Fleet drills near Vladivostok, Russia. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that the entire Russian Pacific Fleet was put on high alert on Friday for snap drills that will involve practice missile launches in a massive show of force amid the tensions with the West over the fighting in Ukraine. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

Speaking during Monday’s meeting with Shoigu, Putin praised the navy’s “high level” performance and said that similar drills should be held in other areas.

The Defense Ministry has declared that sectors in the southern part of the Sea of Okhotsk, the Peter the Great Bay of the Sea of Japan and the Avacha Bay on the southeastern coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula would be closed to sea and air traffic for the duration of practice torpedo and missile launches and artillery exercises.

The ministry said that the drills were intended to “test the Pacific Fleet’s readiness to repel aggression.” The ministry described the briefing as a show of Russia’s “voluntary transparency.”

Russian President Putin meets Defence Minister Shoigu in Moscow
 Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu during a meeting in Moscow, Russia, April 17, 2023.

The Russian military has concentrated the bulk of its forces on the front lines in Ukraine, but has also continued conducting regular drills across Russia to train its forces and demonstrate their readiness.

The Pacific Fleet drills started just before Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu arrived in Russia on Sunday and met with Putin, who hailed close ties between Moscow and Beijing.

In this handout photo taken from video released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, April 14, 2023, A Russian submarine sails off to take part in the Pacific Fleet drills near Vladivostok, Russia. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that the entire Russian Pacific Fleet was put on high alert on Friday for snap drills that will involve practice missile launches in a massive show of force amid the tensions with the West over the fighting in Ukraine. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

Li’s talks with Shoigu would focus on “prospects of bilateral defense cooperation and acute issues of global and regional security,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.

On Friday, Shoigu noted that the scenario for the maneuvers envisages a response to an adversary’s attempt to make a landing on Sakhalin Island and the southern Kuril Islands.

Japan asserts territorial rights to the Kuril Islands, which it calls the Northern Territories. The Soviet Union took them in the final days of World War II, and the dispute has kept the countries from signing a peace treaty formally ending their hostilities.

Last year, Russia announced it had suspended peace talks with Japan to protest Tokyo’s sanctions against Moscow over its action in Ukraine.

Russia has built up its military presence on the islands in recent years, deploying advanced fighter jets, anti-ship missiles and air defense systems there.

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