PRESS RELEASE
Russia Carries Out Surprise Military Drill, Sends Subs to Kamchatka Base
Sept. 8, 2015 (EIRNS)—Russian military preparedness continues to advance with deployment of new Russian nuclear strategic submarines and increased preparedness of its military assets. For example, the Russian Borei-class nuclear-powered strategic submarine Alexander Nevsky is set to join the Russian Navy's Pacific Fleet in late September, a senior Navy representative said today. The strategic nuclear submarine carries 16 Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) with 6-10 nuclear warheads per missile with an effective range of over 5,000 miles, according to Sputnik.
TASS reported yesterday that Russian General Staff Main Operations Department director Andrey Kartapolov described a surprise readiness drill beginning Sept. 7 involving 95,000 troops, 7,000 pieces of equipment and 10 aircraft. The drill will last until Sept. 12. Sergey Koshelev, chief of the ministry's international military cooperation department, told a briefing of defense attaché in Moscow, "It is just another surprise check, like the ones that were held previously and those that will be organized in future."
In his capacity as Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President Vladimir Putin had ordered the surprise inspection of the Central Military District troops, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said, according to TASS. "In accordance with his order, the district troops, part of the aviation forces of other military districts, Airborne Forces and Military-Transport Aviation at 09:30, Moscow time, are being put on full combat alert," the defense minister said at a meeting with the ministry's command staff at the country's National Defense Control Center.
Russia's Defense Ministry will check the readiness of several ministries and agencies, as well as administrations of four regions, to act in wartime, Shoigu added. Among those subjected to checks will be the ministries of health, agriculture, industry and trade, and the Federal Medical and Biological Agency.
