Vladimir Putin has put on a show of Russia 's military strength after mobilising the entire 'Northern Fleet ' of 45,000 troops , 41 ships , 15 submarines and 110 aircraft . In what was one of the Kremlin 's biggest shows of force since its ties with the West plunged to Cold War-lows , the exercises seemed to be aimed at dwarfing Nato drills in neighbouring Norway . President Mr Putin - who has promised to spend more than 21 trillion roubles ( £228billion ) by the end of the decade to overhaul Russia 's fighting forces - called the fleet to full combat readiness . Full combat readiness : Russian President Vladimir Putin ( pictured yesterday ) has promised to spend more than 21 trillion roubles ( £228billion ) by the end of the decade to overhaul Russia 's fighting forces . The country ’ s defence minister Sergei Shoigu said : ‘ New challenges and threats to military security require the armed forces to further boost their military capabilities. ’ ‘ Special attention must be paid to newly created strategic formations in the north. ’ Mr Putin made his first public appearance since March 5 yesterday - an absence from view that had fuelled feverish speculation over his health as well as his grip on power . He was meeting Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev at the Constantine Palace outside Russia 's second city of St Petersburg . Flag : The exercises are due to last for much of the week during which Russia will celebrate its annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea ( pictured yesterday in Simferopol ) Norway is currently holding its ‘ Joint Viking ’ drills involving 5,000 troops in Finnmark county , which borders Russia in the resource-rich Arctic circle where both countries are vying for influence . Tensions between Russia and Europe worsened last year , leading eight northern European nations to promise to boost cooperation to counter an increase in Moscow 's military activity . Nato made new allegations last week that Russia was arming separatists in east Ukraine , where more than 6,000 people have been killed in nearly a year of fighting . The West and Kiev accuse Russia of supplying arms and soldiers to support the pro-Russian separatists . Moscow denies the claims . Talks : Mr Putin ( right ) was meeting Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev ( left ) at the Constantine Palace outside Russia 's second city of St Petersburg yesterday . Nato says it counted more than 100 intercepts of Russian planes into members ' airspace last year , three times more than in 2013 . The intercepts have forced civilian planes to change their courses and Britain scrambled Typhoon interceptor planes after two long-range bombers flew over the English Channel . Norway said its military drills had been planned before the Ukraine crisis . ‘ However , the current security situation in Europe shows that the exercise is more relevant than ever , ’ Lieutenant General Haga Lunde said . The Russian exercises are due to last for much of the week during which Russia will celebrate its annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea , carried out with the help of special forces .
Mr Putin has promised to spend £228billion to overhaul fighting forces . President made his second public appearance yesterday since March 5 . Norway holding 'Joint Viking ' drills involving 5,000 troops in Finnmark .