Sergei Avakyants has been fired from his role as Russian's Pacific Fleet Admiral by dictator Vladimir Putin
Sergei Avakyants has been fired by Vladimir Putin (Picture: Getty/AP)

Vladimir Putin this week sacked one of Russia’s most senior commanders who has been overseeing major war games.

Pacific fleet admiral Sergei Avakyants was leading vast military operations which were seen as a significant show of strength to the West.

Nuclear bombers were spotted flying over neutral waters off the east coast of Asia, while submarine attack exercises and naval live fire drills are ongoing.

Russia’s latest muscle flex appeared to be a warning especially aimed at the US, South Korea and Japan after the three nations held joint naval missile defence exercises in the same region this week.

But now the top naval officer in charge of the showcase of the fleet at Russia’s disposal has been fired from his role.

Putin’s decision to axe Avakyants, who has headed the Pacific Fleet since May 2012, was confirmed by deputy prime minister Yuri Trutnev.

No replacement was announced.

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Admiral Sergei Avakyants, commander of the Russian Pacific Fleet, salutes during a flower laying ceremony at the Military Glory of the Pacific Fleet memorial complex marking the 75th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
Sergei Avakyants was the commander of the Russian Pacific Fleet for 11 years (Picture: Getty Images)

It’s unclear if Putin was dissatisfied with the ‘high alert’ exercises as Russian defence sources revealed eight Tu-22M3 bombers – capable of carrying multiple nuclear missiles – flew over the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan yesterday.

Two Tu-95MS nuclear bombers were also flying over the Bering and Okhotsk seas on Tuesday.

The drills came after the Kremlin dictator had ordered a sudden spot check on the combat readiness of his Pacific Fleet.

They were officially labelled a success, but are evidently still ongoing despite the dismissal of the key admiral.

The surprise sacking of Avakyants is further indication of Putin’s frustration with his top brass, with the admiral becoming the latest in a long line of Russian commanders to face the chop.

A Russian Tu-22M3 bomber performs a flight over neutral waters in the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan, as part of a surprise inspection of the Pacific Fleet's combat readiness, in this still image taken from video released April 19, 2023.
Russian bombers have been flying over neutral waters in Asia as part of a surprise inspection of the Pacific Fleet’s combat readiness (Picture: Reuters)
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a cabinet meeting via videoconference at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia, Wednesday April 19, 2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin has consistently fired senior officers (Picture: AP)

Avakyants was one of Russia’s most respected naval officers, who was a recipient of the Order of Naval Merit and the Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR.

He was seen as a close ally of defence minister Sergei Shoigu who had announced the combat readiness exercises.

Last year, the fleet won prizes as the best trained of Putin’s naval fleets.

The 66-year-old has now been demoted to a backroom role in Moscow leading military sports and patriotic training.

Russia’s navy chief admiral Nikolay Yevmenov is fronting the war games today and told reporters that lessons learned in the conflict in Ukraine had been applied to the Pacific drills.

He said: ‘During these drills our mariners, coastal missile systems are using the combat experience that has been acquired in the course of the special military operation.’

It has also today been revealed that a Russian ‘spy’ ship allegedly stopped at a wind farm off the coast of the UK last year to gather intelligence for potential sabotage, according to an investigation.

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