Russias Pacific Fleet Conducts Extensive July Storm Drills to Enhance Maritime Defense Capabilities

Russia’s Pacific Fleet has commenced a set of naval drills designed to evaluate its capacity to safeguard vital maritime infrastructure, as reported by Interfax on Thursday, referencing the fleet’s press office.

These exercises, which started this week in the Primorye and Kamchatka regions of the Far East, featured collaborative operations with the Federal Security Service (FSB) and border patrol units, according to statements from the fleet’s press service.

This drill is part of a broader training initiative called «July Storm,» aimed at enhancing combat readiness in unconventional scenarios.

Naval patrol vessels near Vladivostok conducted simulations to respond to threats posed by unmanned surface crafts and aerial drones.

In a demonstration, simulated enemy drones approached the Russky Bridge, triggering interventions by Mi-8 and Ka-27PS helicopters that were equipped with anti-terrorism teams.

According to the fleet, Russian forces effectively neutralized the simulated threat using small arms fire and strike drones launched from a naval vessel.

In another segment of the drills, the corvette Gremyashchy fired an anti-submarine missile at a submerged training target in the Pacific Ocean, as reported by the Defense Ministry.

The July Storm exercises, which are scheduled to continue until July 27, encompass various Russian naval theaters including the Pacific, Arctic, Baltic, and Caspian regions.

The Defense Ministry stated that the operation involves over 150 warships and support vessels, 120 aircraft, 10 coastal missile systems, nearly 1,000 military assets, and more than 15,000 personnel across all four main fleets.

Officials indicated that the training will evaluate the Navy’s capability to coordinate long-range precision strikes, deploy unmanned systems, and integrate advanced weaponry across different domains.