MOSCOW. Sept 5 (Interfax-AVN) - Preparations for the Zapad (West) 2017 strategic drill are now almost complete, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in a teleconference on Tuesday.
"The final stage of preparations for the Zapad 2017 drill has begun. Our troops will drill joint operations to ensure the Union State's military security," Shoigu said.
The drill, which will take place between September 14 and 20, "is the year's most significant military training event," Shoigu said. "A range of measures is being taken under the joint plan to move and deploy troops, including the regional group of Russian and Belarusian forces," he said.
Eighteen drills were conducted in the period between May till August in every type of strategic, psychological, logistics, technical and medical readiness, including four drills held jointly with the Belarusian army, Shoigu said.
"The drills verified the preparedness of forces involved, ensured their full provision with resources, deployed command, radio-electronic warfare, engineering, psychological support, medical, and radiation, chemical and biological protection systems, and practiced creation of material reserves," Shoigu said.