Russian Pacific Fleet on high alert in snap drills

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Friday said the country's Pacific Fleet had launched surprise combat drills as tensions rage with the West over Ukraine.

At a meeting with Russia's top brass, Shoigu said the Pacific Fleet, headquartered in the port of Vladivostok, was on high alert during snap exercises begun on President Vladimir Putin's orders.

"The main goal of this exercise is to build up the armed forces' ability to solve the tasks of repelling the aggression of a potential enemy from the direction of ocean and sea," Shoigu said.

The aim was "to evaluate the state and increase the readiness of military command, troops and forces to undertake missions on all strategic directions," Shoigu added.

The head of the Russian navy, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov is overseeing the drills, Shoigu said.

During the exercises, Russian forces will practice searching and destroying submarines, "repelling large-scale rocket and aviation attacks" and launching rockets, torpedoes and artillery fire against seaborne and ground targets.