Military alert in Russia

Putin Orders Northern Fleet to Full Alert for Combat Readiness Drills

The exercises of the Russia's Northern Fleet will be held on land, in sea and air and will run for five days beginning March 16, Defense Minister Shoigu said.

Sputnik News,

16 March 2015

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russian President Vladimir Putin gave the order to bring the country’s Northern Fleet to full alert in a snap combat readiness exercise Monday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.

“The main task of the [combat readiness drill] is to assess the armed forces from the Northern Fleet’s capabilities in fulfilling tasks in providing military security of the Russian Federation in the Arctic region,” Gen. Shoigu said.

The Northern Fleet was brought to alert at 8:00 a.m. Moscow time (05:00 GMT) and includes 38,000 military personnel, 3,360 pieces of equipment, 41 ships, 15 submarines, and 110 airplanes and helicopters, Shoigu dded.

“New challenges and threats of military security demand the further heightening of military capabilities of the Armed Forces and special attention will be paid to the state of the newly formed strategic merging [of forces] in the North,” Gen. Shoigu said.

The exercises will be held on land, in sea and air and will run for five days beginning March 16, the general said.

Last week, Norway began its largest military drills in decades, in its northern Finnmark region near the Russian border. The exercises comprise 5,000 military personnel and will be held until March 18.

Russia's Western Military District, Northern Fleet on combat alert amid snapcheck

Moscow concerned about 

growing number of NATO 

drills near Russian borders 

— diplomat

Such NATO actions lead to destabilization of the situation and increasing tensions in north-eastern Europe, says Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexey Meshkov

TASS,

16 March, 2015

MOSCOW, March 16. /TASS/. Growing number of NATO drills near Russian borders leads to destabilization of the situation in north-eastern Europe, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexey Meshkov said on Monday.

"Russia is deeply concerned about the growing number of NATO drills near our borders. It is especially surprising that this is happening in north-eastern Europe, which is the most stable region not only on our continent, but also maybe in the whole world," Mashkov said.

"Such NATO actions lead to destabilization of the situation and increasing tensions in north-eastern Europe," the deputy foreign minister added.

NATO military drills in the Black Sea

It was earlier reported that NATO naval drills started in the Black Sea with the participation of seven member-countries of the North Atlantic Alliance. The drills are aimed at practising protection from air raids and from torpedo attacks by submarines.

Six NATO war ships have called at Romania's Black Sea port of Constanta as part of military drills, the press service of the North Atlantic Alliance reported on March 13. The six NATO vessels have been in the Black Sea since March 4 on invitation from Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey for planned maneuvers. The group includes USS Vicksburg, four frigates - Turkey's Turgut Reis, Italy's Aliseo, Canada's Fredericton and Romania's Regina Maria, as well as Germany's Spessart auxiliary ship. US Vice-Admiral Brad Williamson is in charge of the group.

NATO warships are obliged to meet the conditions of the Monroe doctrine not to stay in the Black Sea basin longer than 21 days. The water displacement of NATO warships staying in the Black Sea should not exceed 45,000 tons.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said earlier in March that the North Atlantic Alliance "is implementing the strongest reinforcement of its collective defense since the end of the Cold War." He added that "NATO is establishing six command and control centers in the Baltic States and three other eastern Allies, in order to coordinate training and exercises, and facilitate rapid reinforcements."

NATO naval drills in the Black Sea are not the first demonstration of growing military activity of the North Atlantic Alliance near Russian borders. On March 9, 120 units of military equipment arrived to Latvia from US, including tanks and armored vehicles. Estonia is still waiting for reinforcements from Washington. US servicemen are expected to participate in the Siil-2015 military exercise scheduled for May 4-15 in Estonia. Around 13,000 troops will take part in the drills.

DRONE over secret Moscow missile defense radar base

Normally hidden from prying eyes, Ruptly was allowed film exclusive drone footage of a now deserted radar component of Moscow's protective A-135 anti-ballistic missile system. A-135 is a two-tier anti-ballistic missile system based in the Moscow region, built to defend the Russian capital region from missile attack. Operational since 1995, it primarily consists of two layers of interceptor missile launch sites and the Don-2N battle management radar system.