VLADIVOSTOK, September 15 (RIA Novosti) - A naval task force from Russia's Pacific Fleet has started scheduled exercises involving live firing in the Sea of Japan, a fleet spokesman said on Monday. (Russian Navy modernized - Image gallery)

"For the next few days the warships will conduct a series of training exercises, which mainly involve live firing at simulated targets," the source said.

He said the Admiral Vinogradov and Marshal Shaposhnikov large ASW ships will practice on Monday AA artillery and SAM firing at a target drone.

"During the next stage of the exercise, the ships will fire anti-ship missiles at a surface target," the source said.

The current drills are the third in a series of combat training exercises conducted by the Pacific Fleet in the past month. Two previous exercises off Russia's Far East coast involved over 50 warships and submarines, along with naval aircraft and naval infantry.

Russia also announced last week that strategic submarines from the Russian Pacific Fleet would conduct test launches of ballistic missiles at the Kura test site in Kamchatka on September 15-20.