MOSCOW. Sept 3 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia-Belarus battalion tactical exercises with landing operations and live fire practice are being held near Novorossiysk, Russian Airborne Forces spokesman Maj. Irina Kruglova told Interfax-AVN on Wednesday.
"A unit of the Special Operation Forces is taking part in the exercises on behalf of Belarus, and Russia is represented by an air assault battalion of the 7th Guard Air Assault Division. Division Commander Col. Roman Breus supervises the training," Kruglova said.
Brand new Russian parachutes were used by foreign servicemen for the first time ever in the format of international exercises in the Krasnooktyabrskaya drop zone on Wednesday, she added.
"A platoon of Belarusian paratroopers, 20 men, successfully jumped from Ilyushin Il-76 planes together with a Russian Airborne Forces unit. They used the D-10 parachute system," Kruglova said.
In addition to 250 servicemen, the planes airdropped military cargo.
"The activity and live fire exercises of the Belarusian airmobile units and the air assault unit of the Russian Airborne Forces will take place at the Rayevsky range in the Krasnodar territory until September 5," Kruglova concluded.
The allies supported by frontline aviation (Sukhoi Su-24M and Su-25) and artillery (Nona-S systems) will practice cohesion, interaction under complex conditions using newest communication systems, seizure of a mountain pass, water crossing by armored vehicles and organization of defense on an unfamiliar terrain.
The exercises are regulated with the 2014 international activity plan of the Russian Defense Ministry, Kruglova said.