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Russian airborne force to make combat vehicle paradrop at CSTO military exercises in Belarus

Russian troops comprise one third of total forces at wargames

Photo ITAR-TASS/ Russia's Defense Ministry press service

Photo ITAR-TASS/ Russia's Defense Ministry press service

MOSCOW, September 16 (Itar-Tass) - Russian paratroopers will make a parachute drop of combat vehicles for the first time at joint military exercises of the Collective Rapid Response Forces of the member-states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Belarus, spokeswoman of the press service and information department of the Russian Defence Ministry for the Airborne Troops Irina Kruglova told Itar-Tass on Monday.

In her words, the armed forces involved in the joint military exercises will prepare for a landing and loading of military hardware on military transport airplanes at the Ulyanovsk-Vostochny airfield on Monday. The military hardware will be deployed to the area of the military exercises Interaction-2013.

“Contrary to similar military exercises in previous years, this year, along with standard-issue weapons and paradrop support, Russian paratroopers are bringing up to 35 units of tracked and wheeled mitilary vehicles. About ten units of military hardware are planned to land in the area of the military exercises,” Kruglova said.

Russian military units of the Airborne Troops and the Air Force with a total number of personnel of about 250 are involved in the country’s military group at the wargames. The Russian military group makes a third of all participants in the drill. The paratroopers will be represented by two operative groups, namely the command staff and a tactical battalion of the 31st guards separate air assault (peacekeeping) brigade, which includes an air assault company, a self-propelled artillery squadron and a reconnaissance platoon. The Russian Air Force is represented by six IL-76MD airplanes from Tver and six helicopters of army aviation.

The military exercises Interaction-2013 will be held in Mogilev Region on September 20-26. Along with Russia and Belarus, armed forces from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia and Tajikistan will participate in the military exercises.

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