ISTANBUL

The last stage of the inspection of the country's Pacific Fleet will begin on April 18, Russia’s defense minister said on Monday.

During this process, naval strike groups, together with coastal missile divisions, will work out tasks of launching missile strikes with electronic launches, Sergey Shoygu said during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Shoygu informed Putin of the technicalities of the surprise inspection of the Pacific Fleet, which he announced on Friday, saying more than 25,000 military personnel, 167 ships and vessels, 12 submarines, 89 aircraft, and helicopters are participating in the exercises.

Shoygu further said issues of readiness for the use of weapons by strategic missile submarines were worked out during the initial inspection.

"The anti-submarine forces on duty searched for submarines on the approaches to Peter the Great Bay and Avacha Bay. The naval aviation of the Pacific Fleet is dispersed at operational airfields. Aircraft of the long-range aviation command have been relocated to advanced airfields," Shoygu said.

He also told Putin that the second stage of the inspections is currently underway and that a naval group is moving to the southern part of the Sea of Okhotsk, performing combat maneuvering.

"Issues of ensuring the combat stability of strategic missile submarines and their readiness to use weapons have been worked out. A tactical air defense exercise has begun. Naval aviation aircraft are used to mark the enemy," he further said.

He added that forces of the Pacific Fleet will also conduct exercises to search for and destroy submarines and ship groups of a mock enemy, as well as carry out practical artillery firing at air and sea targets, as part of the second stage of the inspection, after which they will return to their permanent deployment points.

For his part, Putin expressed his gratitude to the organizers of the exercises, noting that the first stage of the surprise inspection in the Pacific Fleet was held at “a very high level.”​​​​​​​