© RIA Novosti / Pavel LisitsynA Russian column of tracked armored vehicles
The surprise drill tested ground troops, Air Force, airborne troops and aerospace defense, according to Russia's Defense Minister, Sergey Shoigu.
Putin ordered to "test combat readiness of troops in dealing with crisis situations that threaten the military security of the country, as well as with antiterrorist, sanitary and epidemiological, or technogenic situations," Shoigu said.
According to the Defense Minister, the drill, which started at 14:00 GMT, will be held from February 26 until March 3 in two stages. The second stage involves an opposing-force exercise with the participation of Russia's Northern and Baltic fleet and bomb strike drills.
© RIA Novosti / Vitaliy Ankov
In February, the Russian Army staged a surprise 'combat readiness' drill in central Russia for the first time in 20 years, which was followed by a Black Sea drill in March.
An exercise testing aerospace defense and Air Force then took place in May, involving thousands of troops with hundreds of aircraft and vehicles.
In July, a massive military drill took place in the Eastern Command. Up to 160,000 troops, 1,000 tanks and armored vehicles, 130 aircraft and 70 vessels took part in the drill.
Following the 2013 exercises, President Putin, in his capacity as Russia's Supreme Commander-in-Chief, announced that the practice of surprise drills will continue. A comprehensive inspection of Interior Ministry troops was also ordered.
Comment: Putin has learned not to trust the Western leaders. The deal that the Ukrainian president made with the opposition and some EU leaders were violated before the ink was dry. The Georgian war in 2008 was also only stopped due to the preparedness of the Russian troops.
The West has since the fall of the Soviet Union grossly violated the agreements that it signed with Gorbachev and has had no respect for Russian strategic interests. So Putin is justified in being on guard.