CHEBARKUL /Chelyabinsk Region/, November 8. /TASS/. Russia’s Central Military District will hold drills with its special operations forces in Tajikistan in November, Central Military District Commander Colonel-General Alexander Lapin announced on Monday.

"We will hold special drills in Tajikistan and we are again returning [to the republic]. This time this will be an exercise with special operations forces near the Lyaur training ground in the second half of November," the commander said, without disclosing the strength of the participating troops.

Russia’s Central Military District is based on the territory of the Volga, Urals and Siberian integrated federal districts and 29 Russian regions. Structurally, the Central Military District also includes some overseas facilities: the 201st military base in Tajikistan, the Kant integrated military base in Kyrgyzstan and units stationed on the territory of Kazakhstan.

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 comprises motor rifle, armored, artillery and reconnaissance units, air defense forces, radiation, chemical and biological protection and signal troops.

Under an agreement signed in October 2012, Russia’s military base in Tajikistan will remain until 2042.

Russian troops hold over 20 snap drills in Tajikistan amid worsening Afghan situation

Russia’s Central Military District held over 20 surprise drills at Tajik practice ranges amid the worsening military and political situation in neighboring Afghanistan, the general said.

‘The situation in Afghanistan deteriorated sharply and instantly. We held over 20 unscheduled operational and tactical drills in Tajikistan. The major drills were held at the Harb-Maidon, Momirak, Sambuli and Lyaur training grounds. These maneuvers in Tajikistan culminated in the Interaction 2021 international drills and this exercise is not the last one this training year," the commander said.

On October 18-23, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) held the Echelon 2021 and Search 2021 special drills and the Interaction 2021 joint maneuvers as part of the post-Soviet security bloc’s Combat Brotherhood 2021 operational and strategic exercise in Tajikistan. Over 4,000 troops from Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and more than 500 items of military hardware took part in the drills.

The Russian troops participating in the drills mostly comprised units of the 201st military base in Tajikistan, including mountain motor rifle, tank and artillery troops and also special operations forces, electronic warfare and radiation, chemical and biological protection units of the Central Military District.