05.08.2021, Moscow.
Joint military exercise of Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan has started at the Kharb-Maidon training area 20 km away from the border with Afghanistan, TASS reported on August 5 citing the press service of the Central Military Command (Russian: TsVO).
The exercise will last until August 10, and it involves 2.5 thousand servicemen including 1.8 thousand from Russia, mostly from the 201st Military Base of the Russian Federation located in Tajikistan. Approximately 500 units of weapons and military equipment will be used in the exercise.
“Military threats are escalating in the world today, and the situation is growing increasingly tensed and unpredictable. By joint exercise we will test our combat experience, identify optimal forms of military operations, and develop common approaches to the conduct of hostilities,” Deputy TsVO Commander Lieutenant General Evgeny Poplavsky said.
According to a statement of the Defense Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey Shoigu, the countries participating in the exercise will practice in destroying armed groups, air reconnaissance, and protection of infrastructure.
The exercise is taking place in the context of escalation in adjacent Afghanistan. To date, the Taliban radical movement (organization banned in Russia), according to its members, controls about 90% of the country’s territory.
According to official information, the militants currently control about two thirds of the Afghanistan’s border with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, which can be even more according to unofficial information.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
