General Andrei Kartapolov announced on Tuesday that Russia carried out surprise military drills to assess the readiness of troops in the Kaliningrad region between December 5 and 10.

Kartopolov, who heads the Operations Department at the General Staff of the army said that the inspection was ordered by Russian President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Vladimir Putin.

The report of the General Staff reveals that the drills engaged up to 9 000 people and 642 pieces of weaponry and equipment, of which 250 tanks and armoured vehicles, 55 naval ships and 41 aircraft.

The assessors inspected the combat readiness of troops of the Western Military District and its capacity to provide security of the Kaliningrad region, TASS news agency reports.

The report revealed the participation of units of missile troops, artillery, mechanised infantry, airborne troops, marine forces, reconnaissance, communications, logistics, combat aircraft, helicopters and ships of the Baltic Sea Fleet.

The airlift jets and ships of the Baltic Fleet relocated a missile brigade, including Iskander-M missile complexes, and an airborne brigade to Kaliningrad.

The units of the armed forces have returned to their permanent stationing, the report concludes.

The Russian army has carried out a series of surprise military drills as retaliatory measures against the piling of NATO forces near the country's borders.

Kaliningrad, which is an exclave bordering NATO member countries Poland and Lithuania, is the most western territory of Russia.

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