DUSHANBE, August 11. /ITAR-TASS/. Battalion tactical exercise of a unit of Russia’s 201st military base was launched in the south of Tajikistan on Monday, spokesman for the Central Military District Captain Igor Shcherbakov told ITAR-TASS.

The maneuvres are held at the Sambuli range not far from the Kurgan-Tyube city where the 149th regiment of the combat force is stationed.

According to Shcherbakov, “the maneuvres have three stages in which it is planned to drill combat actions in blocking and destroying the main enemy in mountainous terrain; the main focus will be on maneuvrability of the units.”

“More than 100 armored vehicles and some 500 troops are involved in the maneuvres to drill defensive and offensive actions, movement operations, missions to search for and destroy subversive terrorist groups of the simulated enemy,” the spokesman said.

The 201st base is Russia’s largest ground military facility outside the country. The combat force includes some 6,000 troops, accommodated in garrisons near the Tajikistani cities of Dushanbe, Kurgan-Tyube and Kulyab. Under the interstate Russian-Tajikistani agreement, this base will be deployed in Tajikistan until 2042.