ALABINO, July 24. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s Defense Ministry is ready to hold the world’s tank biathlon, Deputy Defense Minister Arkady Bakhin said on Thursday.

“The Defense Ministry is ready for this large-scale and unique event,” General Bakhin said.

The tank biathlon will be held in Alabino, outside Moscow, from August 4 to August 16. Twelve countries - Russia, Angola, Armenia, Belarus, Venezuela, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Kuwait, Mongolia and Serbia - will be involved in the competition.

Chinese servicemen will take part in the biathlon with their own tanks. “Other countries will take part in the competition in Russia’s T-72 tanks. All teams know the tank because they are armed with them,” Bakhin said.

“Most participants have arrived. They will be able to get accustomed to the time zone, the weather and hardware,” he said.