Defence Minister intent to activate Russian fleet manoeuvres

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov intends to activate Russian fleet manoeuvres.

The Russian defence office head announced his resolution at a press conference in the Norwegian defence ministry on Wednesday, answering the question of what purpose the Russian Severomorsk subchaser had pursued while entering the Spitsbergen island region.

The warship carried out a regular sailing, Sergei Ivanov pointed out. "We are making efforts to activate Russian fleets not in an aggressive sense, but in the framework of military exercises," the minister elaborated. In this connection the official believes there is no problem, "provided international laws, including maritime laws, are observed." The activities are much less intense than they were in the Soviet period, he underlined. "Over the last 10 years Russian warships seldom took to sea, which degraded military training," the minister stressed.

"In the near future the extent of the Northern Fleet's military exercises will increase," Sergei Ivanov reported. Surely Russia will inform the Norwegian side of its manoeuvres," he underlined.