VLADIVOSTOK, October 20. /TASS/. An official opening ceremony of the Indra-2017 Russia-India drills took place in Vladivostok on Friday, Russia’s Pacific Fleet spokesman Captain 2nd Rank Nikolai Voskresensky said.

"The aquatics and sports center of the Pacific Fleet in Vladivostok hosted on October 20 an official opening ceremony of the first-ever Russian-Indian multi-service force drills," Voskresensky said.

A group of the Indian Navy’s warships arrived in Vladivostok on Thursday take part in the naval part of the drills.

This year, the Russian-Indian maneuvers will for the first time be held in the multi-service force format.

Instead of the drills Indra Navy-2016, Avia Indra-2016 and Indra-2016 held last year, maneuvers with the participation of three military branches will be held this year with the involvement of the Pacific Fleet and also aviation and land troops units of Russia’s Eastern Military District.