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Military drills

Russian military conduct antiterrorist drills in Tajikistan

The drills involved drones and armored personnel carriers

Tanks at Russia’s Lyaur military range in Tajikistan Sergei Zhukov/ITAR-TASS

Tanks at Russia’s Lyaur military range in Tajikistan

© Sergei Zhukov/ITAR-TASS

DUSHANBE, February 29. /TASS/. Antiterrorist exercises have been conducted at Russia’s Lyaur military range located on the outskirts of the Tajikistani capital Dushanbe, spokesman for the Russian Central Military District Nikolay Berkalov told TASS on Monday.

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"Reconnaissance teams of the 201st military base were involved in the simulated terrorist headquarters’ seek and destroy mission," the official said. According to him, "the special operation was conducted simultaneously from two sides for the distraction of the terrorists’ attention." Covered with massed intense fire from heavy-caliber machine guns of the BTR-80 armored personnel carriers, the reconnaissance crews got access to the terrorist facility and opened fire on the gunmen from the first floor. An assault team, using special climbing gear attacked and destroyed the enemy from the building’s roof.

The drills involved drones and automatic weapons with silencers. During the exercise the troops drilled counter-sabotage actions in unfamiliar mountainous terrain during the day and nighttime.

The 201st Russian military base was created in 2004 on the premises of the 201st division and numbers 6,000 officers and soldiers. It is the largest Russian military contingent abroad. The military units of the base are deployed in the Tajikistani capital of Dushanbe, the city of Kurgan-Tyube, southern Tajikistan, and Kulyab, eastern Tajikistan, where the Russian regiment was formed back in the 30s of the previous century. The term of deployment of the Russian military base in Tajikistan expired in 2014. In October 2012 the presidents of the two countries signed an agreement extending the term of deployment of the Russian military base in Tajikistan until 2042.

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Russian military bases abroad

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