MOSCOW, August 28. /TASS/. Russian Northern Fleet combat ships practiced measures during drills in the Kara Sea to ensure the security of the country’s maritime economic activity in the Arctic, the Fleet’s press office reported on Thursday.

"The crews of a detachment of the Northern Fleet’s combat ships and support vessels conducted drills in the Kara Sea for ensuring the security of Russia’s maritime economic activity and resolving crisis situations," the press office said in a statement.

Under the scenario of the drills, the large anti-submarine warfare ship Severomorsk has received information from the Northern Fleet’s operational service about an intruder - the tugboat Pamir - heading towards Russia’s territorial waters, it specified.

"A message was transmitted through international communication channels to the crew of the intruder vessel that it was approaching Russia’s territorial waters. In the absence of a response to the demand to stop moving towards the state border, the crews of the Northern Fleet’s combat ships opened warning artillery fire along the course of the intruder vessel’s sailing," the press office said in a statement.

The Northern Fleet’s forces also practiced operations by inspection groups, which were delivered to the tugboat Pamir by fast-speed boats under the cover of a Ka-27 helicopter together with a group of marine infantry, it said.

In their operations, inspection groups seized firearms and smuggled goods and detained the crew of the intruder vessel during the drills, the press office reported.

TASS reported earlier that a group of the Northern Fleet’s combat ships and support vessels had embarked on a long-distance deployment across Arctic seas. As the Fleet’s press office reported, the deployment aims to safeguard maritime shipping and other types of Russia’s economic activity in the Arctic. The Fleet’s combat ships have already covered a distance of over 3,500 nautical miles since the start of the Arctic deployment.