ST. PETERSBURG, July 27. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has joined the large-scale naval drills codenamed July Storm in St. Petersburg via a video link on Russia’s Navy Day.

The naval maneuvers are taking place in the operational areas of the Northern, Pacific and Baltic Fleets and the Caspian Flotilla.

As Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced, the head of state will oversee practice firings and listen to Russian admirals’ reports.

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.

The drills July Storm aim to check the readiness of the Fleets to accomplish unconventional assignments and employ precision-guided weapons and unmanned systems. The crews of combat ships are practicing measures to deploy to designated areas of fulfilling combat objectives, repel attacks by enemy drones and inflict losses on the enemy.