Russian naval forces on Tuesday conducted large-scale military drills in the eastern Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Barents Sea. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu inspected the exercises held in the eastern Mediterranean, which gathered more than 15 warships from the country's Pacific, Northern and Black Sea Fleets, together with over 30 aircraft with the Russian Air Force. Navy Commander-in-Chief Nikolai Yevmenov said the military maneuvers aimed to better protect the national interests by thwarting the military threats from crucial sea areas.