MOSCOW. June 23 (Interfax) - Military transport aircraft are carrying paratroopers and hardware from Ulyanovsk to the site of exercises held in a surprise inspection of the combat preparedness of the Central Military District forces.
"More than ten Ilyushin Il-76 military transport aircraft are transporting the paratroopers to a designated area on a distance of about 1,000 kilometers. The brigade was put on alert yesterday," the Defense Ministry press service and information department said on Monday.
The brigade units marched to the embarkation area, the press service said. Paratroopers, hardware and landing paraphernalia were rapidly prepared and put on the planes for transportation to the area of exercises.
Ulyanovsk units of the Airborne Forces will be engaged in exercises with the second and 41st combined-arms armies of the Central Military District at the Chebarkulsky, Yurginsky and Totskoye ranges.
The surprise inspection of the Central Military District forces started on June 21 on the orders from the Russian Armed Forces supreme commander.