Ekaterinburg. November 16. INTERFAX - Servicemen of the Central Military District (CVO) marched to the training ground in Tajikistan, where the CSTO special forces "Cobalt-2021" exercise will begin on Wednesday, the CSTO press service reported on Tuesday.
"The military personnel of the Central Military District arrived at the Fakhrabad training ground to participate in the joint CSTO exercise "Cobalt-2021". (...) The exercise will be held from November 17 to 19," the message says.
According to the Central Military District, the servicemen made a 45-kilometer march on armored personnel carriers BTR-80 and armored vehicles "Tiger" from Dushanbe, during which they worked out aspects of the combat protection of the column, overcoming conditionally infected areas of the terrain, repelling attacks by sabotage and reconnaissance groups and air strikes of the "enemy".
"In the course of practical actions, Russian servicemen, together with colleagues from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, will work out issues of planning and conducting an operation to destroy militants, acting as part of the CSTO special forces," the press service added.
Earlier it was reported that formations of special forces, internal affairs bodies, state security, ministries and departments for emergency situations and drug control of collective rapid response forces from the CSTO countries will take part in the Cobalt-2021 exercise. The purpose of the exercise is to increase the efficiency of the preparation and conduct of joint and operational-combat activities in the regions of collective security.
The Russian military contingent at the exercise will be represented by military personnel of the special purpose unit of the Central Military District and the reconnaissance battalion of the 201st military base.
The 201st military base stationed in Tajikistan is Russia's largest military facility outside of its borders (part of the Central Military District). It is located in two cities - Dushanbe and Bokhtar. It consists of motorized rifle, tank, artillery, reconnaissance units, air defense units, RCB protection and communications.
Against the background of the Taliban movement coming to power in Afghanistan (a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation), the Russian military reported on strengthening the base in Tajikistan with new weapons.
