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Russia's airborne troops participate in post-Soviet security bloc drill

MOSCOW, May 13. /TASS/. Paratroopers of Ulyanovsk and Ivanovo divisions of Russia’s Airborne Forces have been put on high alert for a combat readiness inspection of contingents of the Collective Rapid Reaction Force of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), the Russian Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.

"During the marches to the staging areas and airfields of embarkation, the units are training to counteract conventional sabotage groups and are carrying out engineer terrain intelligence," the ministry’s press service said.

"They are overcoming water obstacles and soft ground areas," it said.

The units of the Ivanovo airborne division have marched and are training to prepare the equipment and armament to be loaded onboard the planes of the military-transport aviation at the Ivanovo-Severny airfield.

Several Ilyushin Il-76 multi-purpose aircraft of the Defence Ministry will be used to redeploy units, military equipment and armament to the designated areas, the press service said.

The post-Soviet security bloc, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, established in 1992, comprises Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

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