Russia troops engaged in aerial drills in Tajikistan
Russian troops have joined forces from fellow members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) to take part in military drills in the Central Asia nation of Tajikistan.
The Monday training drills seek to evaluate and enhance the readiness of the alliance’s Collective Rapid Reaction Force, during which the participating forces will simulate combat operation with armed groups in rugged rocky terrain, said the Russian Defense Ministry.
The CSTO is a military alliance that consists of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
The ongoing military exercises include coordination of electronic warfare units, practicing on drills to protect communications, and special maneuvers for paratroopers practicing landing in mountain and desert terrain.
The drills further involve more than 2,500 military service members, nearly 200 units of weaponry and military equipment, about 20 war planes and helicopters, as well as 30 military transport aircraft.
The drills come as NATO military forces have also been conducting massive military maneuvers in the Baltic Sea and Eastern Europe near the Russian border since the Ukraine conflict began in early 2014.
Moscow has expressed outrage over NATO's expansion towards its borders, saying it poses a direct threat to Russia's national interests.
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