MURMANSK, August 4. /TASS/. Over 10,000 personnel, 70 armored vehicles, up to 15 aircraft and around 30 combat ships, submarines and support vessels will participate in the drills that have kicked off for the Russian Northern Fleet, its press office reported on Wednesday.

"A command and staff exercise has kicked off for the Northern Fleet under the direction of its Commander Hero of Russia Admiral Alexander Moiseyev to practice command and control of troops and forces. Overall, the drills involve more than 10,000 personnel, 70 items of the armor, up to 15 aircraft and about 30 combat ships, submarines and support vessels," the press office said in a statement.

The drills will involve at their various stages army corps formations, marine infantry, engineering units, coastal defense, missile and artillery troops, units of the Northern Fleet’s Air Force and Air Defense Army, warships, submarines and support vessels engaged in the inter-fleet transit after their participation in the Main Naval Parade, as well as ships of the Kola Flotilla of All-Arms Forces and divisions of the Fleet’s missile ships, the statement says.

"The drills aim to assess the practical skills of headquarters officers in troop command and control, practice timed operations and accomplish combat exercises employing weapons as part of groupings of all-arms forces," the press office specified.

The practical phase of the drills will last several days and wrap up the Northern Fleet’s operational training in the summer training period. The exercise will help the Northern Fleet’s command assess the preparedness of the Fleet’s troops (forces) for participation in large-scale strategic drills scheduled for the autumn of 2021, the statement says.