MOSCOW, April 10 (Xinhua) -- The Russian military is testing the readiness of its Caspian Flotilla for the 2016-2017 winter period, a senior official said Monday.
"All the formations and military units of the Caspian Flotilla located in the Astrakhan and Makhachkala garrisons, as well as the battalion of Naval Infantry located in the Republic of Dagestan, were raised to the highest degree of readiness," said Col. Vadim Astafyev, head of the Southern Military District's press service.
He added that the battalion of Naval Infantry was getting up on the sudden alarm, preparing the military equipment and relocating the column to designated areas of concentration during the drill.
"The issues of cooperation, information exchange between groups and command posts, and joint actions of the formations and military units are being worked out while conducting the military operations," he said.
Commanders of military units will report on the implementation of combat training plans and the readiness to perform new tasks for the winter period, Astafyev said.
The Caspian Flotilla is the oldest Russian military fleet, created in 1722 in the southern city of Astrakhan by the order of Peter the Great.
