ULAN-UDE, September 23. /TASS/. The Selenga 2021 international counter-terror drills with the participation of Russian military personnel kicked off in Mongolia, the press office of Russia’s Eastern Military District told TASS on Thursday.

"The Russian troops have arrived for their participation in the Selenga 2021 annual joint Russian-Mongolian drills at the Doytym An training ground, and their opening ceremony has been held today. Overall, the exercise will involve up to 1,500 personnel and over 200 items of armament and military hardware from both sides," the press office said in a statement.

The servicemen have also accomplished a complex combat training operation within specified time limits for unloading military hardware from a railway platform and conducted a march about 60 km long to the Doytym An proving ground. Until October 5, they will be assigned the task of eliminating notional outlawed armed gangs, employing various tactical methods of modern warfare, the press office specified.

"The Eastern Military District will participate in the drills with motorized infantry and armored units, a mortar battery, BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers, a flamethrower platoon, and tube artillery squads," the statement says.

In the course of their preparations for the joint drills, the sides took measures to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, the press office said.

Russia and Mongolia hold Selenga drills alternately on their territory each year.