ORENBURG. Sept 20 (Interfax) - The presidents of Russia and Kyrgyzstan, Vladimir Putin and Sooronbai Jeenbekov, are watching the active phase of the Center 2019 strategic exercise in the Orenburg region.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov, and Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov are at the command post together with the presidents.
Russian forces are training deterrence of a mock enemy's offensive together with contingents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, China, and Pakistan.
In all, the Center 2019 exercise involves about 128,000 servicemen, more than 20,000 pieces of equipment and military hardware, and about 600 aircraft.
Russia is represented by motorized infantry and tank units of the Ground Forces, groups of missile and artillery forces, air defense units, tactical and army aircraft, airborne and air assault units of the Airborne Forces, special operations, engineering, and railroad forces, radiation, biological and chemical protection forces, ECM forces, supply and logistics units, long range and military transport aircraft, and operators of Forpost, Orlan-10, and Grusha unmanned aerial vehicles.
More than 2,000 foreign servicemen and 28 Chinese planes and helicopters are participating in the drills.