Russia Exercises Ocean Shield In The Baltic Sea, More Than 6,000 Personnel Involved

Presidents Vladimir Putin and Sergei Shoigu on Russian Navy Day. (Wikimedia Commons/Kremlin.ru)

JAKARTA - Russia's Ministry of Defense announced the start of Ocean Shield 2023 naval exercises in the Baltic Sea on Wednesday, August 3. The drills involved more than 30 ships and military vessels, 20 support ships, 30 naval flights and Russian Air Force aircraft, and about six thousand military personnel. According to a ministry statement quoted from Anadolu via Antara, Tuesday, August 2, the exercise was carried out under the command of the Navy Commander Admiral Nikolay Evmenov. The purpose of the naval exercise is to assess the readiness of the Russian Navy to defend the interests of its country in critical areas, as well as coordination of various military forces. "During the exercise, measures for the protection of maritime communications, cargo transportation of the army and military, as well as marine coastal defenses will be carried out. In total, it is planned to carry out more than 200 combat exercises, including the practical use of weapons," the ministry said.

After the exercise ends, the ships and planes will return to their permanent base.