MOSCOW, June 9-RIA Novosti. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced plans to hold a series of preparatory exercises that will precede the strategic command and staff exercises "West-2021".
"Before that, we will have a whole series of preparatory exercises that accompany any major exercises of this kind," Shoigu said at a plenary session of the public council under the Ministry of Defense.
In general, according to him, by the end of the year, in addition to the "West-2021", a large number of combat training events are planned.
The minister recalled that earlier in the Russian Armed Forces there were control sudden checks of combat readiness, and expressed bewilderment that they "scared" the Western neighbors, although the checks were carried out as planned and did not violate international agreements.
"I would like to note that all the events were carried out according to the plan and in accordance with international agreements. Nevertheless, for some reason, they greatly frightened our Western neighbors, " Shoigu said.
He said that 35 thousand weapons, military and special equipment, 180 ships and boats, about 900 aircraft, including long-range and military transport aircraft, were involved in the inspections. More than 4 thousand classes, trainings and exercises of various scales were held at 101 training grounds. The checked associations and connections carried out regrouping over distances of more than 3,5 thousand kilometers. A detachment of 15 ships of the Caspian Flotilla made an inter-fleet crossing to the Black Sea with a length of more than 1.3 thousand kilometers. The airborne forces practiced training and use as part of an interspecific group of troops, while landing at a range of 1.5 thousand kilometers.
