TASS. February 4. Motor rifle units of Russia’s 201st military base eliminated a notional enemy at the approaches to a populated area during drills in Tajikistan, the press office of the Central Military District reported on Tuesday.
"During a tactical episode, reconnaissance squads detected an illegal armed formation advancing towards a populated area for the purpose of taking hostages and replenishing food supplies. The troops timely transmitted the reconnaissance data to a command post. After receiving an alert signal, the motor rifle units advanced on BTR-82A armored personnel carriers to the designated area and assumed all-round defense, planting mines on roads and at the approaches," the statement says.
The troops set up an ambush at one of hard-to-access places of a mountainous gorge. After routing the enemy’s major forces, the motor rifle troops switched to an offensive and completed the rout of the militants’ dispersed groups, according to the statement.
"As a result, the servicemen of the 201st military base prevented the enemy’s advance into the populated area, protecting local residents and children," the press office added.
The drills that ran on February 3-4, involved over 500 troops and about 100 items of military and special hardware.
The 201st military base stationed in Tajikistan is Russia’s largest military facility outside its borders. The military base is stationed in the cities of Dushanbe and Bokhtar. The military base’s armament includes T-72 tanks, BTR-82A armored personnel carriers, Grad multiple launch rocket systems, Gvozdika and Akatsiya artillery systems.
Under an agreement signed in October 2012, Russia’s military base in Tajikistan will remain until 2042.