VLADIVOSTOK, April 20. /TASS/. A Russian missile corvette conducted artillery firings in the Sea of Japan and wiped out a notional enemy’s coastal targets during the Pacific Fleet’s snap combat readiness inspection, the corvette’s commander reported on Thursday.

"During the ongoing measures for raising the Fleet’s combat preparedness, the crew of the corvette Aldar Tsydenzhapov successfully conducted a combat firing exercise from an A-190 artillery gun against the notional enemy’s coastal stronghold," corvette commander Andronik Shishmanyan said.

The firings went smoothly and the target was wiped out, Konstantin Moshnov, commander of the corvette’s combat compartment, reported.

By decision of Russian President Supreme Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Putin, the Pacific Fleet’s forces went on high alert in a snap combat readiness inspection on April 14.

The naval sailors will exercise to prevent a potential enemy’s penetration into the southern part of the Sea of Okhotsk, repel the landing of an adversary force on the Island of Sakhalin and the southern Kuril Islands, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu earlier reported.

The sudden combat readiness inspection commanded by Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Yevmenov also involves 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.

As Defense Minister Shoigu reported on April 17, the Pacific Fleet’s surprise combat readiness inspection involves over 25,000 personnel, 167 combat ships and support vessels, including 12 submarines, and 89 aircraft and helicopters.