Monitoring Russian Naval Drills

The US - and others - are monitoring the largest Russian exercises staged since the fall of the USSR.

“The naval phase of Russia's Vostok-2010 (Orient-2010) military exercises has drawn increased attention from the intelligence services of the United States and Asia-Pacific countries,” a senior Russian Navy source was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.

On June 29, Russia launched the biggest ever post-Soviet war games in the eastern part of the country involving 20,000 troops, up to 70 combat aircraft and 30 warships, including North Fleet's nuclear powered guided missile cruiser ‘Pyotr Veliky’ (Peter-the-Great), world's biggest non-aircraft carrier battleship.

The increased activity of intelligence gathering aircraft, particularly Japanese, has been noticed in close proximity to the area where the drills are being held.

Attempts to collect intelligence data by foreign navies about the activities of the (Russian) Pacific Fleet were registered sea and air.

By: Brant