The Zapad-2021 strategic exercises, which will be held from September 10 to 16, will point out to Western partners the futility of building up military capacities near the Kaliningrad Region. This was stated on the air of the radio station "Moscow Speaks" by Deputy Defense Minister - head of the Main Military-Political Department of the Armed Forces Andrey Kartapolov.
According to him, NATO's actions in Europe are designed to demonstrate that there is a projection of a military bloc for the Kaliningrad enclave, they want Russia to feel and understand this. However, Moscow is ready for these hints and makes it clear. Kartapolov noted that during the Zapad-2021 exercises, the Russian side will once again try to show that it is not necessary to disturb the Russian bear, TASS writes.
Earlier, the first deputy head of the Main Department of International Military Cooperation of the Russian Defense Ministry, Yevgeny Ilyin, said that the strategic exercises "West-2021" are purely defensive in nature. The exercises are held to train the conduct of military operations in modern conditions and to increase the operational compatibility of the military command bodies of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, Belarus, allies and friendly states.
In total, up to 200 thousand people will take part, about 80 aircraft and helicopters, up to 760 units of military equipment, including 290 tanks, 240 guns, multiple rocket launchers and mortars, as well as up to 15 ships will be involved. Various episodes will be played out at six ranges of the Western Military District of Russia, three more ranges will be used by military aviation. Practical actions of general-purpose naval forces are organized in the southern part of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Finland. To work out tasks on the territory of Belarus, the military will use two combined-arms and two aviation training grounds.
