Moscow. January 11. INTERFAX - The Western Military District (ZVO) has sent about 3,000 troops to firing exercises in four regions of central and southwestern Russia.
"About 3 thousand servicemen of the Guards Red Banner Combined Arms Army of the Western Military District have started combat training at combined arms training grounds in the Voronezh, Belgorod, Bryansk and Smolensk regions," the press service of the Military District said on Tuesday.
"In total, about 3,000 military personnel take part in the event, about 300 units of military equipment are involved, including T-72B3 tanks, BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, as well as regular small arms," the press service of the district reported.
According to the military, servicemen of the Vistula and Yelnya motorized rifle divisions (Belgorod and Smolensk regions - "IF") began 2022 with special tactical exercises.
It is reported that during these maneuvers, the divisions' units "will work out the combat coordination of various formations, improve their professional skills, and also master new methods and tactics of performing firing tasks in a complex environment of modern combined-arms combat."
The press service of the ZVO reported that the main emphasis on tactical exercises is made on "performing exercises of control shooting from small arms and armament of armored vehicles, organizing marches with the active influence of sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the "enemy" and the equipment of strong points."
"Each unit will complete the maneuvers by conducting a training battle with a live firing stage, during which the crews of BMP-2 armored vehicles and T-72B3 tanks will show skills of joint actions and hit targets simulating equipment and manpower of a conditional enemy at ranges up to 1.2 thousand meters," the ZVO said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the US military said that they had not noticed significant changes in the number of the Russian group near Ukraine. "We have not seen significant changes in terms of troops near the border with Ukraine. There is no visible reduction of the grouping. There is still a significant grouping there - to the east, north and even south of Ukraine," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.
In 2021, the United States, other NATO countries and Ukraine announced the concentration of Russian troops at the Ukrainian border.
On December 9 last year, the chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation, Valery Gerasimov, said that Russia has no aggressive plans. "NATO countries pay excessive attention to the movement of troops on the territory of the Russian Federation. The redeployment of units during combat training is a routine practice for the armed forces of any State. Military activity is carried out on national territory and does not require notification," Gerasimov said at a briefing for foreign military attaches.
