MOSCOW, September 17. /ITAR-TASS/.In the course of the unscheduled checkup of the operational readiness of the troops of the Eastern Military District /EMD/, assault landing units of the Airborne Forces have been airlifted or brought by sea to the areas of Primorsky /maritime/ Territory, Chukotka and Kamchatka Peninsulas, the Kuril Islands, and Sakhalin, an official in the Russian Defence Ministry's press service told ITAR-TASS on Wednesday.
The task of the servicemen of the Airborne Forces is to occupy and protecet the designated area, pending the arrival of the main forces. "The paratroopers conduct reconnaissance, ensure the safety of airfields and landing sites, engage in looking for, spotting and destroying reconnaissance sabotage groups of a simulated enemy operating in the coastal areas of Primorye, Chukotka, Kemchatka, Kuril and Sakhalin islands," the Ministry official specified.
Units of the Airborne Forces plant mines in places of a possible landing of an amphibious party of a simulated enemy. The paratroops will also train in operating new means of communication and navigation and drill standards in firing.
The unscheduled comprehensive checkup of the operational readiness of EMD troops began on an order from Vladimir Putin, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of Russia's Armed Forces, on September 11 and will continue till September 18.
Pacific Fleet ships stage sea battle
Ships of Russia's Pacific Fleet held a "sea battle" training in the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk, an official in the Russian Defence Ministry's press service told ITAR-TASS on Wednesday.
During the training, Pacific Fleet navymen hit a number of training targets from shipboard artillery mounts, the Ministry official added.
Earlier in the day, the Defence Ministry official pointed out, that the Pacific Fleet anti-submarine ships set out from basing stations and surmounted simulated mine barriers. While doing so, small anti-submarine ships were defending the entire group against submarines of a simulated enemy.
Besides, the Pacific Fleet's anti-submarine ships, in conjunction with on-shore missile and artillery units, drilled action to defend basing stations.
{article_slideshow:749416:'Combat readiness snap check in Russia's Eastern Military District':'right':'50'}Four armies of Eastern Military District to hold practice firing
All armies from among Russia's Eastern Military District are to hold practice firing "in conditions of an unfamiliar terrain", an official in the Russian Defence Ministry's press service told ITAR-TASS on Wednesday.
According to the ministry official, practice firing will be held at the military ranges of Trans-Baikal, Kamchatka, and Primorsky Territories, Sakhalin and Chukotka Regions.
Motorised rifle, tank, artillery, and anti-aircraft units will take part in the practice firing with the use of such types of weapons as tanks, infantry combat vehicles, armoured personnel carriers, cannon artillery, mortars, grenade launchers, and anti-aircraft mounts.
"In particular, artillery men fire in direct laying from sheltered positions at individual and group targets. Tank crews will fire from guns on the move at emerging and moving targets which imitate an enemy tank, and destroy air targets from a machine-gun," the press service official pointed out.
"All fire missions are performed by the personnel of Land Forces at unfamiliar firing ranges in a little-know terrain in the complex conditions of a tactical situation," the Defence Ministry official emphasized.
{article_slideshow:749706:'Russian troops redeployed to surprise drill areas':'right':'50'}Snap check in Russia's Eastern Military District
Russia’s Defense Ministry started a surprise combat readiness check in the Eastern Military District last Thursday morning on order from Russian President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Putin.
The drills 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.