Putin orders surprise Black Sea military exercises

AFP via Google ^ | March 28, 2013 | Stuart Williams

[Pan_Yan]

MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday ordered surprise military exercises in the Black Sea region involving 7,000 troops and dozens of ships to test the army's battle readiness, the Kremlin said.

In typical Putin style, the order was presented to the Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in a sealed envelope in the middle of the night at 4:00 am (2400 GMT), with the drills to start immediately.

...

Peskov said 36 ships from the Russian Black Sea Fleet's base in the Ukrainian Crimean city of Sevastopol and the Russian port of Novorossiisk would be involved in the exercises.

Aviation, paratroopers and special forces would also take part, Peskov said.

"According to international practice, exercises involving up to 7,000 people do not require us to inform our partners in advance," he said.

The defence ministry's chief spokesman Igor Konashenkov told RIA Novosti that the drills would involve 7,000 troops, up to 20 military jets and helicopters and 50 pieces of artillery.

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

Sort of like another dictator ordering more divisions to protect Berlin.

[Jimmy Valentine]

Well the Ukrainians are worried. They buy natural gas from Gazprom and the Russians don't give them a break on price.

The Rusians are trying to unilaterally extend their leases on Odessa, and Sevastopol.

Georgia certainly.

Syria is kind of a client state and Russia uses a warm water port there.

Turkey possible but I don't think so. The Bosphorus and its control have fevered the dreams of every Russian ruler since Peter the Great. But I don't see anything happening here.

The big question is the Northern Fleet and particularly their sub-surface assets. That is what I would be looking at if I were Pres.