MOSCOW, September 20. /TASS/. Planes and helicopters of Russia’s Aerospace Force and the Western Military District are returning to their bases after the Zapad-2017 strategic exercise, the Defense Ministry said.

"The crews of tactical and army aircraft of the Aerospace Force and the Western Military District, which participated in the joint strategic exercise Zapad-2017, have begun to return to their permanent locations," the Defense Ministry said.

The Sukhoi-35S, MiG-31BM, MiG-29SMT, Sukhoi-30SM, Sukhoi-24M, Sukhoi-34 and Sukhoi-25 planes and helicopters Mi-28N, Mi-35, Mi-8 and Ka-52, which were involved in different episodes of the drills, some of them in Belarus, will be back to base within two days.

"The aircrews coped with all of their tasks despite bad weather, including tactical airborne assault, support for ground troops, interception of air targets and strikes against targets on the ground," the Defense Ministry said.

The joint Russian-Belarussian strategic exercise Zapad-2017 was held in the territory of both countries on September 14-20. Taking part in them were about 12,700 officers and men, (including about 10,200 in Belarus), about 70 planes and helicopters, up to 680 ground vehicles, including 250 tanks, up to 200 artillery pieces, multiple rocket launchers and mortars, and ten ships.