At a time of escalating crisis with Ukraine, the Russian army announced that its fleets would engage in large-scale war exercises during this January and next February.

In a statement published on its website and reported by the "Moscow Times," the Russian Navy stated that the exercises involved every water area on the border with Russia.

The exercises will involve approximately 140 warships and 60 combat aircraft along with more than 10 thousand military personnel.

Moscow states that the main purpose of these exercises is to improve the capabilities of the naval and air forces to protect Russian interests in the global ocean.

The task of the second exercise was to "confront the military threats to Russia at sea and the ocean."

According to the Russian official statement, the exercises will include fleets deployed in the Mediterranean, Atlantic, Pacific and even the North Sea near the British Isles and Scandinavia,

There will be similar war exercises in the Sea of Okhotsk, which separates Russia from Japan.

Although the manoeuvres come amid the escalating crisis with Ukraine, Russia has confirmed that the planned exercises are part of the Army's annual 2022 training plan.