Joint exercises of Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have started at the Harb-Maydon training range near the border with Afghanistan, the Central Military District reports.
On the Russian side, Deputy Commander of the Central Military District troops Yevgeny Poplavsky took part in the opening ceremony; the Tajik armed forces were represented by Deputy Defense Minister Abdukhoshim Gulomzoda. Uzbekistan's Deputy Chief of the General Staff Farrukh Ziyabayev delivered a welcoming speech.
"The main purpose of the exercise is to strengthen military commonwealth and close cooperation between the armed forces of our states, confirmation of the high level of training of troops and strong morale. In today's world there is an increase in military threats, the situation is becoming more and more tense and unpredictable," Poplavsky said at the ceremony.
It is planned to test the accumulated combat experience, develop optimal forms of the use of troops and general approaches to the conduct of military operations, he added.
The exercise will last from August 5 to 10. About two and a half thousand servicemen and about 500 units of armament and military hardware will take part in it.
The core of the Russian contingent will consist of units of the 201st Military Base, including mountain motorized rifle, tank and artillery units, as well as groups of special forces, specialists of radiation, chemical and biological protection and electronic warfare.
The exercises are taking place against the backdrop of a worsening situation in Afghanistan, where, as the withdrawal of American troops unfolds, the confrontation between the government forces and the radical movement Taliban (banned in the Russian Federation). In recent months, the Taliban have seized significant territory in rural areas and launched attacks on major cities.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: mil.ru
Based on materials of RIA Novosti