Putin satisfied with unscheduled military drills

The Russian armed forces have fulfilled their preset tasks during the recent large-scale military drills, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday. \"In general I think all the personnel implemented the tasks set, \" Putin said during a meeting with senior army commanders. Ground troops, the air force, the navy and special units took part in the unscheduled military exercises held in southern Russia and the Black Sea region in late March. Putin explained that he had decided to conduct the drills on a very short notice so that he could see the actual combat readiness of the troops. \"This is not a parade ... These unexpected inspections confirmed once again what weak points we have,\" Putin said, adding that communications remained a vulnerable field for the Russian armed forces. The president also stressed that the main task for the military should be building a \"modern, efficient and compact army\" capable of assuring Russia\'s security under any circumstances.