Troops in the Russian Far East have not been put on high alert following the brewing crisis between North and South Korea, several military officials said on Wednesday.
"We have not received any orders from Moscow to put the Pacific Fleet on high alert due to the conflict between the two Koreas. The fleet is currently carrying out scheduled exercises at sea and on land," a Pacific Fleet spokesman said on Wednesday.
The official said the arrival of Russia's most powerful warships in the Pacific had been planned long ago as part of the biennial Vostok strategic exercises and was not related to the crisis on the Korean Peninsula.
His statement was backed up by officials representing ground forces and air defenses in Russia's Far East.
"The troops are involved in regular summer training. The units of the Far Eastern military district have not received any high alert orders," a spokesman for the military district said.
Relations between the two Koreas soured after Seoul accused North Korea of firing a torpedo from a submarine at the 1,200-ton South Korean Cheonan corvette. The vessel sank near the disputed Northern Limit Line in the Yellow Sea on March 26 causing the loss of 46 lives.
North Korea declared on Tuesday it was cutting all ties with Seoul and allegedly ordered its 1.2- million armed forces to get ready for combat.
Russia has called for North and South Korea to exercise restraint and not allow the situation on the Korean peninsula to escalate.
VLADIVOSTOK, May 26 (RIA Novosti)
