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India to provide tanks, armored vehicles to Russians taking part in Indra military drills

About 300 troops from Russia’s Eastern Military District will join the exercises

MOSCOW, December 5. /TASS/. India will provide more than 20 combat vehicles, including tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, to servicemen of Russia’s Eastern Military District taking part in the Indra-2019 international exercise, the district’s press service said on Thursday.

"In order to conduct the ground phase of the joint Russian-Indian exercise Indra, the armed forces of the Republic of India will provide servicemen of the Eastern Military District participating in the maneuvers with over 20 combat vehicles, including tanks and infantry fighting vehicles," the press service said in a statement.

"Besides, as part of exchange of experience, servicemen of the Eastern Military District and the armed forces of the Republic of India will conduct joint live firing of pistols, rifles, rocket launchers and mortars," the statement says. "Those agreements were reached during previous planning conferences."

The exercise will take place in India in December. The Indra-2019 event will be conducted at ground and naval training ranges and at a military aerodrome of the Indian Armed Forces. About 300 troops from Russia’s Eastern Military District will join the exercises. The drills are divided into two phases. The first coastal stage will take place at the port of Marmagao on December 10-15, and the second, the naval phase of the joint drills, will run on December 16-19 in the Indian Ocean.

The combined force will hone their skills in reconnaissance, search operations and airborne descent. In addition, the militaries of both countries will lock down an area seized by a simulated armed group, create humanitarian corridors and destroy mock armed units.