KIRILLOVSKY TEST RANGE (Leningrad region), March 03. /ITAR-TASS/. President Putin accompanied by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, troops commander of the Western Military District Anatoly Sidorov and Chief of the head department of combat training of the Russian armed forces Ivan Buvaltsov on Monday have monitored a military exercise held on the Kirillovsky test range in the Leningrad region in the framework of a surprise inspection of combat readiness of troops and ammunition of the Western and Central military districts.

The surprise inspection of troops of the Western and Central military districts, which began on February 26, ends late on March 3. Around 150,000 servicemen, 90 planes, 120 helicopters, 880 tanks, 80 ships all in all took part in the exercise.

More than 1,800 servicemen, 30 tanks, around 20 airborne combat vehicles, five planes and 80 helicopters were involved in the exercise held on the Kirillovsky test range on five scenarios: drills in combat operations and liquidation of a presumed adversary, landing operations by paratroopers on guided parachutes and landing of tactical airborne troops for isolation of a zone of military operations, neutralization of an artillery unit or a logistics supply battalion.