MOSCOW. Sept 21 (Interfax) - Russian and Abkhaz military have started a joint phase of the Caucasus 2020 strategic command-post exercise, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
"Over 1,500 troops and some 500 various items of military hardware were put on alert and marched for 150 kilometers to reach the Tsabal and Nagvalou ranges within the designated exercise sites," it said.
Taking part in the joint exercise are units from Russia's Southern Military District and troops from the Abkhaz Defense Ministry, Emergency Situations Ministry, and State Security Service, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The hardware involved in the exercise includes S-300 air defense systems, T-72B3 tanks, BTR-82AM armored personnel carriers, Shturm antitank missile systems, 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled howitzers, Grad multiple rocket launchers, and other systems.
"Ka-52 Alligator, Mi-8, and Mi-8AMTSh helicopters of the 4th Air Force and Air Defense Forces Army of the Southern Military District and the Republic of Abkhazia with tactical landing units on board were also scrambled," it said.
The troops will be practicing the destruction of a simulated enemy in mountainous and coastal areas under cover of army aircraft for a week, it said.
"The active phase of the exercise will take place on the coastline, where service members from motorized infantry, tank, artillery, and anti-aircraft units will practice the detection of sabotage and reconnaissance groups of illegal armed units and organize defense against a simulated enemy's landing party," it said.
"The exercise will be concluded with live firing from the weapons of T-72B3 tanks and BTR-82AM armored personnel carriers upon more than 2,000 targets in mountainous areas of the Caucasus Ridge," it said.