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About 1,000 Russian motor rifle troops kick off drills in Tajikistan

The exercise will come to an end on February 15 with a live-fire exercise

© Sergei Zhukov/TASS, archive

DUSHANBE, February 3. /TASS/. Tactical drills involving 1,000 motorized infantry troops of Russia’s 201st military base kicked off at the Lyaur mountainous training range in Tajikistan, the press office of the Central Military District reported on Monday.

"The troops performed a motor march to the area of the drills. During their advance, they practiced combat security measures to repel attacks by adversary reconnaissance and subversive groups and overcome contaminated terrain. Upon their arrival at the training range, the units started equipping their positions and camouflaging fortifications," the press office said in a statement.

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Troops to employ T-72B3 tanks, army aviation helicopters in southern Russia drills

During the active phase of the drills, the motor rifle units will practice tactical measures and maneuvers in the defense and in an offensive, accomplishing assignments in various terrain sections and in populated areas both day and night employing reconnaissance/fire and strike systems. For this purpose, over 2,000 controlled targets have been prepared, the statement says.

"The drills involve over 200 items of armament and military hardware, including Mi-8 and Mi-24 army aviation helicopters, T-72 tanks, BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, Akatsiya self-propelled artillery guns, Sani mortars, AGS-17 and RPG-7 automatic and hand-held grenade launchers, drones, and also small arms," according to the statement.

The drills will come to an end on February 15 with a live-fire exercise.

Russia’s Central Military District is based on the territory of the Volga, Urals and Siberian integrated federal districts and 29 Russian regions. Structurally, the Central Military District also includes some overseas facilities: the 201st military base in Tajikistan, the Kant integrated military base in Kyrgyzstan and units stationed on the territory of Kazakhstan.

The 201st military base stationed in Tajikistan is Russia’s largest military facility outside its borders. The military base is stationed in the cities of Dushanbe and Bokhtar. The military base’s armament includes T-72 tanks, BTR-82A armored personnel carriers, Grad multiple launch rocket systems, Gvozdika and Akatsiya artillery systems.

Under the agreement signed in October 2012, Russia’s military base in Tajikistan will remain until 2042.

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