MOSCOW, July 25. /TASS/. The Pacific Fleet’s combat ships and Bastion coastal defense missile systems delivered a joint strike by cruise missiles at targets in the Sea of Japan simulating enemy warships during the Russian Navy’s large-scale drills codenamed July Storm, the Fleet’s press office reported on Friday.

"During the Russian Navy’s operational exercise July Storm, ships of the Pacific Fleet’s Primorye Flotilla of All-Arms Forces and crews of Bastion coastal defense missile systems delivered a joint strike at a complex target position in the Sea of Japan that simulated a notional enemy’s warships. As confirmed by live-recording images, all the targets were successfully destroyed," the press office said in a statement.

During the exercise, the Pacific Fleet’s flagship, Guards Order of Nakhimov missile cruiser Varyag live-fired a Vulkan anti-ship cruise missile. In turn, a strike group consisting of R-18 and R-20 missile boats attacked targets with Moskit cruise missiles. Meanwhile, a Bastion missile system crew conducted a march to a firing position area on the coast of the Primorye Region and delivered a strike on a sea target by an Oniks cruise missile, the press office specified.

On July 23-27, the Russian Navy is conducting the operational exercise codenamed July Storm under the direction of Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Alexander Moiseyev in the Pacific and Arctic Oceans, the Baltic and Caspian Seas with the involvement of the forces of the Northern, Pacific and Baltic Fleets and the Caspian Flotilla.

The drills have brought together over 150 combat ships and support vessels, 120 aircraft, 10 coastal defense missile systems, 950 items of military and special hardware and more than 15,000 personnel.