MOSCOW, September 11. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu gave orders on Thursday to inform foreign military attaches of a surprise combat readiness check of troops in the Russian Far East.

Russia’s Defense Ministry started a surprise combat readiness check in the Eastern Military District on Thursday morning on order from Russian President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Putin.

The drills will focus on the tasks of troops’ regrouping for large-distance re-deployment.

This is not the first combat readiness check held since the start of this year. Late in February 2014, Putin ordered combat readiness checks of troops in the Western and Central Military Districts and in late June surprise checks were held in the Central Military District.