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Russian defense minister to evaluate air defense performance at CIS drills

Military from Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are taking part in the drills
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu ITAR-TASS/Donat Sorokin
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu
© ITAR-TASS/Donat Sorokin

ASHULUK PROVING GROUND, September 10. /TASS/. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu will evaluate the performance of aviation and air defense forces at the closing phase of the exercise of the CIS integral air defense system, Defense Ministry spokesman, Major-General Igor Konashenkov, told the media.

"The Russian defense minister and his counterparts from Armenia and Belarus and Air Force and Air Defense commanders from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan will evaluate practical joint actions by the CIS air defense in repelling a hypothetical enemy’s air attacks in areas of collective security," Konashenkov said.

"In the course of the exercise the participants will practise anti-terrorist operations and the mode of action in armed conflicts," Konashenkov said.

According to earlier reports, military from Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have gathered at the Ashuluk testing range. Under the plan for the exercise Kazakhstan’s Air Force and air defense units are absent from the exercises near Astrakhan. They are performing their own tasks at the Sary-Shagan proving ground.

The coalition group of Air Force and air defense units will practise control procedures in preparing for and conducting combat operations in the Central Asian Region in repelling a massive rocket and air attack," Konashenkov said.

The agreement to create a unified air defense system of the CIS was signed in 1995. The joint exercise Combat Commonwealth has been held ever since.