Russia has started large-scale military drills involving aerospace defense, transportation and air forces

Russia has started large-scale military drills involving aerospace defense, transportation and air forces, the Defense Ministry said Monday.

About 8,700 servicemen, more than 180 warplanes and 240 combat vehicles are participating in the exercises that started with no advance warning, said Valery Gerasimov, chief of general staff of the Russian Armed Forces.

The snap drills are being conducted in line with President Vladimir Putin's remarks to "check the state of combat readiness of troops and their capacity of fulfilling tasks in varying conditions," Gerasimov said.

Putin made an unscheduled inspection of troops from the Southern Federal District and Airborne Forces on May 13 and urged the army to be prepared around the clock.

Several MIG-31 fighters from the Eastern Military District conducted combat training over the Kamchatka Peninsula and destroyed their targets, the ministry said.

"The public must see how the various threats could be countered," Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu told a teleconference with top military commanders.