MULINO /Nizhny Novgorod Region/, August 27. /TASS/. Troops employed Uran-9 combat robots for the first time in defense during special drills in the Volga area, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Friday.

"In the course of special drills held in the Nizhny Novgorod Region, Uran-9 reconnaissance and fire support robots were employed for the first time in the troop battlefield defense posture," the ministry said in a statement.

The personnel also practiced the operations of combined air defense, electronic warfare and radiation, chemical and biological protection troops for the first time to fight enemy drones, the statement says.

The active phase of the drills at the Mulino training ground was inspected by Chief of the Russian General Staff, First Deputy Defense Minister Army General Valery Gerasimov.

The large-scale drills held in the Western Military District are a final stage of the inspection of the troop preparedness for the Zapad-2021 strategic exercise that will run on the territory of Russia and Belarus on September 10-16.

The Uran-9 combat multi-purpose robotic vehicle is designated to conduct reconnaissance and provide fire support to forward and reconnaissance squads of tactical-level combined-arms forces, boost the efficiency of fulfilling combat tasks and reduce casualties in combat engagements, including in urban warfare.