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Russian engineer troops: 317 years of flawless service

In 2017, Russian combat engineers demined more than 6.5 thousand hectares of territory and 17000 buildings in Syria

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Soviet sappers of military engineering unit, assisted by specially trained dogs, inspecting the road in Afghanistan, 1988

© Yuri Tyssovsky/Fotokhronika TASS

Practical training of Vitebsk and Khingan engineer combat brigade, 1997

© V. Sayapin/TASS

Track minelayer moving to the combat training of Volga-Urals military district, 2002

© Anatoly Semehin/TASS

Combat training of Volga-Urals military district, 2002

© Anatoly Semehin/TASS

Military engineers of Siberian military district seen during exercises

© Yevgeny Yepanchintsev/ITAR-TASS

Military engineer in camouflaged uniform seen during exercise held by the Siberian military district, 2008

© Yevgeny Yepanchintsev/ITAR-TASS

Siberian military district's engineer troops, 2008

© Yevgeny Yepanchintsev/ITAR-TASS

Mine clearance at Mamayev Kurgan Memorial in Volgograd

© Dmitry Rogulin/TASS

Amphibious cargo vehicles participating in military exercises conducted by the 5th Army's pontoon bridge units on organization and maintenance of assault troop and bridge crossings in Primorye territory

© Yuri Smityuk/TASS

Military exercises conducted by the 5th Army's pontoon bridge units on organization and maintenance of assault troop and bridge crossings in Primorye territory

© Yuri Smityuk/TASS

Military exercises conducted by the 5th Army's pontoon bridge units on organization and maintenance of assault troop and bridge crossings in Primorye territory

© Yuri Smityuk/TASS

Military engineering troops participating in the Open water competition as part of the 2015 International Army Games in Vladimir region

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

Open water competition among pontoon-bridge units

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

Engineer troops during a demonstration event at the Interpolitex 2015 International exhibition in Krasnoarmeisk

© Sergei Bobylev/TASS

Sappers of the Russian Armed Forces search and clear mines in a street of eastern Aleppo, Syria, 2016

© Timur Abdullayev/News Team/TASS

Russian sappers demining Palmyra, Syria, 2017

© Russian Defense Ministry Press Office/TASS

The day of engineer troops was marked in Russia on January 21. Military engineering forces are among the oldest in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. On that day in 1701 Peter the Great signed a decree on creation in Moscow a school of Pushkarsky (cannon) office for artillery officers’ and military engineers’ training. Modern engineer troops are special forces designed to perform the most complex tasks of engineer support for military operations. In 2017, Russian combat engineers demined the cities of Palmyra, Aleppo and Deir ez Zor in Syria. In total, more than 6.5 thousand hectares of territory were cleared and 1,5 thousand km of roads and 17000 buildings were demined. Russia's military engineering forces - in photo gallery by TASS.

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