Earlier in the day, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that Russia's Pacific fleet had been put of the highest degree of alert under the checks of combat readiness.
"Warships, boats and support vessels of the Pacific Fleet left their permanent deployment points and started transition and operational deployment in the designated areas of the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea to perform tasks as part of strike, anti-submarine strike and mine-sweeping groups, as well as landing detachments ships as part of a sudden check of combat readiness," the ministry said.