Russia is beefing up military presence in the Far East and Pacific coast, a senior defense official said Friday.

"Today one of the key tasks is development of defense infrastructure on the Pacific coast and islands at Russian (Far) East," commander of the Eastern military district Sergei Surovikin told a conference in the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, capital of the insular Sakhalin region.

Among the most urgent actions to be undertaken by the Defense Ministry in that region, the Colonel General mentioned building of more military garrisons in two out of the four disputed islands between Russia and Japan.

According to the official, the total number of defense-related facilities to be built in the Southern Kurils, or known as the Northern Territories in Japan, until 2016 will be over 150. Even more garrisons will be modernized and erected by 2020, Surovikin added.

This fall, Russia plans to conduct strategic drills code-named Vostok-2014.

In July 2013, President Vladimir Putin ordered Eastern military district to hold large-scale snap drills. During 2013, Russian armed forces have conducted in total 131 exercises in the Far East.

In February, Russian Defense Ministry said the facilities for new Borey-class strategic missile submarines in Pacific coast will be completed by the end of 2014.

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