Russian bombers' simulated suppression of border attacks is to take place while the aircraft are maximally loaded with arms and servicemen.

Breaking with their 20-year precedent, Tu-160 Blackjack and Tu-95MS Bear-H strategic bombers are to take part in Moscow-Minsk joint exercises with 'maximum pay-load' on board.

Lt. Col. Vladimir Drik was quoted by Ria Novosti as saying "for the first time in many years, the crews of….the bombers will fly missions carrying the maximum combat payload and fire all the cruise missiles on board."

"Tu-160 bombers have never done this because it is very expensive," said former commander Pyotr Deynekin as the country's Armed Forces seem to claim undivided attention and the need for 'modernization' the military gets recurrent mentions in the the Russian leader, Dmitry Medvedev's comments.

The October 6-12 drill, which deploys the participants' ability to react to potential border threats, serves as a part of the Stability-2008 exercise meant to “provide strategic deterrence and security for the Russia-Belarus Union State” among other things.

The raft of military exercises comes while the US authorities press along with persuading Russia's neighboring states to host parts of the Washington-proposed missile defense shield.

Russia contests the move saying it posed a threat to its stability besides looming large as a 'nuclear deterrent'.

In an interview with the Press TV, On August 15, Russian political analyst Victor Nadein Raevskiy spoke against the US' claim that the plan was meant to head off possible attacks from Iran saying "Iran does not have missiles that could reach that far…, off course, it is some kind of protection against Russian rockets."

Washington has, as well, been pushing for creation of a rapid-deployment force made up of NATO troops against what it calls Russia's possible aggression towards its neighbors.

The latter proposal came after the August confrontation between the Russia and Georgia which had attacked South Ossetia endangering the lives of the Russian peacekeepers and nationals in the independence-leaning Georgian republic.

Moscow accuses Washington of having masterminded the attack saying the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili would hardly proceed with the invasion alarmed at Russia's potential reaction.

"It is hard to imagine that Saakashvili embarked on this risky venture without some sort of approval from the side of the United States," the Russian Premier Vladimir Putin said in late August.

HN/