MOSCOW - President Vladimir Putin has ordered the Russian Navy's Northern Fleet and paratrooper units to go on full alert as part of snap military exercises in the Arctic, RIA news agency quoted the defence minister as saying on Monday.

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said Russia faced new threats to its security which obliged it to boost its military strength and capabilities.

"New challenges and threats to military security require the armed forces to further boost their military capabilities. Special attention must be paid to strategic formations in the North," state-run RIA quoted Shoigu as saying.

The tests were due to include nearly 40,000 servicemen, 41 warships and 15 submarines, RIA reported.