Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced the completion of all verification activities in the Southern and Western military districts and ordered the return of personnel to their places of deployment by May 1. 

During a meeting in Crimea, the head of the Ministry of Defense emphasized that the goals of the surprise check had been fully achieved.

“The troops have demonstrated their ability to ensure reliable defense of the country ... The Russian Armed Forces respond adequately to all changes in the situation near the Russian borders.

Here, in Crimea, in the course of a surprise check, actions for antiamphibious defense of the sea coast were worked out, ”he said.

Shoigu also instructed the General Staff, the commander of the military districts and the Airborne Forces to "conduct a detailed analysis and summarize" the check.

At the same time, the head of the defense department noted the increased activity of NATO near the southern borders of Russia.

He specified that the intelligence activities of the North Atlantic Alliance are intensifying in the region, the intensity and scale of operational training activities are increasing. 

“We are closely monitoring the transfer of alliance troops to the area of ​​the upcoming Defender Europe-2021 exercises.

Coordination centers have been set up in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria to ensure the meeting of NATO troops and cargo, ”Shoigu said.

  • Sergei Shoigu got acquainted with the course of the exercises

The minister stressed that Russia will continue to monitor the situation in the areas of the Defender Europe exercises, and also instructed the troops to be ready for an immediate response "in the event of its unfavorable development."

On April 22, interspecific exercises of the Armed Forces started at the Opuk Crimean training ground.

Before the start of the events, the Ministry of Defense said that units of the combined arms formation, air force and air defense formations, warships and ships, military units of the coastal forces of the Black Sea Fleet, part of the forces of the Caspian Flotilla of the Southern Military District, as well as units of the Airborne Forces will take part in them.

As RIA Novosti clarified with reference to the department, more than 10 thousand servicemen, 1.2 thousand units of equipment, over 40 warships and 20 support vessels were involved in the exercises.

On the morning of April 22, Sergei Shoigu arrived in Crimea, where he got acquainted with the progress of the exercises as part of a sudden check of the combat readiness of the troops.

In particular, the minister flew by helicopter over the areas where troops and military equipment were deployed, checked the readiness of the naval and ground forces for exercises, and also heard a report from the commander of the Southern Military District, Army General Alexander Dvornikov, on the upcoming actions of the troops during the exercises, the Defense Ministry said.

"Polygon" Opuk "is located at a distance of 60 km from Feodosia and 40 km from Kerch.

The capabilities of the test site allow you to practice the tasks of landing troops and overcoming the anti-amphibious defense of the "enemy", to carry out amphibious assault landing of up to two battalions of marines at the same time, to fire at coastal targets with naval artillery complexes, and also to use operational-tactical and army aviation, department.

Recall that at the beginning of April, Sergei Shoigu announced scheduled control checks in the country's armed forces during the winter training period.

He clarified that the troops went to the training grounds to conduct tactical, tactical-special and bilateral exercises.

"In accordance with the plan for the training of the armed forces, control checks have begun in the military command and control bodies, formations and military units," Shoigu said during a conference call at the National Defense Control Center of the Russian Federation.

The press service of the Ministry of Defense then clarified that a total of 4,048 exercises of various scales will be held in April, including 812 bilateral, at 101 training grounds and 520 facilities of the training and material base.

Military maneuvers in April will take place in all four military districts and the Northern Fleet, as well as in the Far North, the Kuril Islands and Kamchatka, the ministry added.

We will remind, in July 2020, in Russia, on the instructions of the President, a surprise check of the troops of the Southern and Western districts was also carried out. 

Then Sergei Shoigu noted that during the events, an assessment of the army's ability to ensure security in the south-west of Russia will be given, since "serious threats of a terrorist nature remain there."