ROSTOV-ON-DON, January 29. /TASS/. About 2,000 troops of Russia’s Southern Military District have started large-scale drills with a live-fire exercise in Armenia, the District’s press office reported on Wednesday.

"The servicemen of the Southern Military District’s Russian military base stationed in Armenia have started qualifying live-fire drills employing small arms and combat vehicles in mountains," the press office said in a statement.

The qualifying exercise involves about 2,000 troops and more than 500 motor and armored vehicles, the statement says.

At the Kamkhud and Alagyaz training ranges, the troops are fulfilling exercises using their service weapons, including RPG-7 hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers, AK-74 assault rifles, the guns of BTR-80 armored personnel carriers and T-72B tanks, according to the statement.

The troops are firing arms from different positions, individually and as part of squads and platoons, day and night. Besides, the personnel are using night vision devices for immobile and moving targets that are simulating command posts, helicopters, light-armored hardware and manpower of a notional enemy, the press office specified.