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Russia's defense industry

Russian military hold firing drill in Transdniestria

The next rotation of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Transdniestria is scheduled for October 2015

© ITAR-TASS/Sergey Karpov

MOSCOW, August 19 /TASS/. About 400 troops and more than 30 vehicles from the Operational Group of Russian Forces in Moldova’s unrecognized Transdniestria Republic took part in a live firing drill, Colonel Oleg Kochetkov, the press service chief of the Western Military District, said on Wednesday.

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"The troops on the move repelled an attack of subversive reconnaissance groups and overcame mine-studded sections of the terrain. The march was more than 30 kilometers long. During interaction of the combat units, a motor-rifled platoon advanced to the firing positions to suppress an imaginary enemy," Kochetkov stressed.

He added that the next rotation of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Transdniestria was scheduled for October 2015.

Russian peacekeepers in Moldova

Joint peacekeeping forces of Russia, Moldova and Transdniestria, as well as a group of military observers from Ukraine are now maintaining peace on the two banks of the Dniester River. No violence outbreaks have been recorded in the region during their presence, which allowed Chisinau and Tiraspol to negotiate peaceful settlement of disputes.

Moldova says the conflict is over and calls for changing the existing peacekeeping format by deploying an international mission of OSCE observers. Transdniestria says Russia’s military presence in the unrecognized republic guarantees its security.

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