MOSCOW, July 25. /TASS/. Over 800 military servicemen were alerted for snap drills at the Russia’s 201st military base in Tajikistan as part of artillery exercise, the press service of the Central Military District announced on Wednesday.

"Large-scale military drills of artillerymen started at Russia’s 201st military base deployed on the territory of Tajikistan," the press service reported. "The drills involve over 800 military servicemen and about 200 weapons and military hardware, including multiple launch rocket systems Grad and Uragan, self-propelled artillery howitzers Akatsiya and Gvozdika as well as 120-mm mortars."

The press service added that the military exercise will last until August 8 and will be held at the Lyaur firing range, located some 30 kilometers (19 miles) to the south of the city of Dushanbe.

Russia’s 201st military base, deployed in Tajikistan, is the country’s biggest military facility outside its borders (in Tajikistan’s cities of Dushanbe and Kurgan-Tyube). In line with an agreement signed in October 2012, Russian troops will stay in the country at least until 2042.