MOSCOW, April 14. /TASS/. The Pacific Fleet’s combat ships and support vessels have deployed to the designated areas in the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea to accomplish the objectives of a surprise combat readiness inspection, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Friday.

"The Pacific Fleet’s combat ships, support vessels and boats have departed from their permanent bases and commenced their transit and operational deployment to the designated areas in the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea to accomplish their objectives as part of strike, anti-submarine warfare and minesweeper forces, and also groups of amphibious assault ships during a surprise combat readiness inspection," the ministry said in a statement.

Along the routes of their deployments, the warships are conducting shipborne drills of their combat teams, in which the crews are practicing the algorithms of ship damage control at sea and passage through narrow waterways, and are also exercising together with operators of navigational radar systems, the ministry specified.

"The inspection is assessing the deck officers’ knowledge and practical skills of ship control and maneuvering in a formation upon accomplishing the objectives of dispersal in maritime areas as part of tactical groups, providing air defense and mine countermeasures," the statement reads.

All of the Pacific Fleet’s forces went on heightened alert on April 14 in a surprise combat readiness check. The naval sailors will exercise to prevent a potential enemy’s penetration into the southern part of the Sea of Okhotsk, repel the disembarkation of an adversary force on the Island of Sakhalin and the southern Kuril Islands, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said earlier on Friday.

The sudden combat readiness inspection commanded by Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Nikolay Yevmenov will also involve some units of the Aerospace Forces. The sweeping drills are aimed at raising the preparedness of the Russian forces for "repelling a potential enemy’s aggression from oceanic and maritime directions." The exercise will also focus on operations by strategic nuclear-powered missile-carrying submarines.