Russian Warships Conduct Major Drills In Central Part Of Pacific Ocean – Defense Ministry

Combat ships of the Russian Pacific Fleet, along with the naval aviation, are conducting exercises in the central part of the Pacific Ocean, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

“Up to 20 surface warships, submarines and support vessels are involved in the far sea zone exercise, which is being held in the central part of the Pacific Ocean for the first time in the recent history of the Pacific Fleet,” the Defense Ministry said.

The ministry clarified that the maneuvers are taking place in the Pacific Ocean about 2,500 miles southeast of the Kuril Islands.

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One of the warships of Russia’s Pacific Fleet. (File photo)

“Two detachments of ships of the Pacific Fleet, operating at a distance of about 2.5 thousand miles southeast of the Kuril ridge islands, worked out the tasks of detecting, countering and delivering missile strikes against an aircraft carrier strike group of a mock enemy,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.

Meanwhile, the Ilyushin Il-38 anti-submarine warfare aircraft worked out the search for mock enemy submarines in the Pacific Ocean, the Defense Ministry said.

“During the exercise, the naval aviation of the Pacific Fleet also solved the task of searching for and tracking submarines of the mock enemy. To this end, six Il-38 and Il-38N anti-submarine aircraft were deployed in pairs over the waters of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean,” the ministry said.

The naval group of the Pacific Fleet, in cooperation with naval aviation, also worked out the tasks of delivering a simulated attack with cruise missiles on the critical military infrastructure of a mock enemy. The simulated missile attack was carried out from surface ships and from the air.

The Russian Tu-142M3 anti-submarine warfare aircraft provided support to the naval strike groups, the defense ministry said.