MOSCOW, September 20. /TASS/. Large-scale drills involving Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces have kicked off in the Urals region of Sverdlovsk, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"The large-scale command and staff exercise involving the Tagil Rocket Division brings together more than 3,000 troops of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces and about 300 pieces of equipment," the statement reads. "Promising special equipment will be widely used in the drills," the ministry added.

The Russian Defense Ministry specified that the drills were aimed at practicing ways to carry out maneuvers along combat patrol routes, counter sabotage units and perform combat training tasks amid jamming activities and operations by sabotage and reconnaissance groups. "The exercise is also expected to focus on ways to combat various air attack weapons," the ministry stressed.

Army helicopters and BPDM Typhoon-M combat anti-sabotage vehicles equipped with drones are being used to detect and combat sabotage and reconnaissance units, the ministry specified. "The Listva advanced remote demining device is escorting the Yars mobile ground-based missile system along combat patrol routes," the statement added.

Missile regiments equipped with Yars mobile ground-based missile systems are actively maneuvering to change field positions and expand their area of combat patrol. "The field positions of Yars mobile missile systems are secured deep inside Russia but if necessary, the launchers may be relocated to almost anywhere in the country," the statement said.