MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/. A group of the Russian Pacific, Northern and Black Sea Fleets supported by Il-38 anti-submarine warfare naval aircraft practiced hunting down foreign submarines in the Mediterranean Sea, the press office of Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Monday.

"As part of the naval exercise under the direction of Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Nikolay Yevmenov, task forces of combat ships from the Pacific, Northern and Black Sea Fleets jointly with Il-38 anti-submarine warfare ships practiced measures to check the absence of surveillance and hunt down foreign submarines in the designated area of the eastern Mediterranean," the ministry said in a statement.

The ongoing stage of the drills aims to practice operations jointly with aircraft to hunt down and continuously track a notional enemy’s submarine and provide for a continuing data exchange on the target’s maneuvers and drill the elements of the combat employment of various air-launched weapons, the Russian Defense Ministry specified.

The Russian naval maneuvers involve the missile cruisers Varyag and Marshal Ustinov, the frigates Fleet Admiral Kasatonov and Admiral Grigorovich and the large anti-submarine warfare ships Admiral Tributs and Vice-Admiral Kulakov and other warships.

The Russian naval drills under the direction of Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Yevmenov are running in the Mediterranean Sea on February 15-22. The drills have brought together over 15 combat ships and support vessels, and also more than 30 aircraft.

The naval maneuvers are focused on measures by the Navy to protect Russia’s national interests in the World Ocean and counter military threats to Russia from the direction of seas and oceans, the ministry said.