MOSCOW, July 18. /TASS/. More than 20 warships and boats took part in night exercises on the Neva River, St. Petersburg, ahead of a parade scheduled for July 30, the Fleet Day, representative of the Russian Defense Ministry’s Press Service for Naval Science Igor Dygalo said on Tuesday.

"Minesweepers, missile ships, anti-saboteur ships, patrol boats and landing boats have taken part in the exercises. Operation of systems and mechanisms was checked during the night drill," he said.

According to Dygalo, the Serpukhov fast attack craft, the Alexander Obukhov advanced minesweeper, the Grachonok anti-saboteur boats and the Raptor patrol boats took part in the drill. The exercises were led by Deputy Commander-in-Chief Alexander Fedotenkov.

A number of military exercises and rehearsals will be held on the Neva River and in the Gulf of Finland near Kronstadt in the next two weeks.