MOSCOW. March 1 (Interfax) - Over 1,200 troops and 150 items of military and special hardware are involved in an exercise the Russian Airborne Forces started on Monday in the Krasnodar territory and the Ivanovo region, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
"Two major exercises involving the parachuting of troops and hardware and live firing started today in the Krasnodar territory and the Ivanovo region," it said.
The paratroopers involved in the exercise in the Krasnodar territory will practice destroying illegal armed units and simulated enemy targets.
"This will be followed by an assault maneuver using army helicopters toward a designated deployment area to prevent the passage of an enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group, take control of a position of advantage, and attain the objective, which includes a phase of live firing on the offensive," it said.
The exercise will be special in that its participants are to use BMD-4M and BTR-MDM Rakushka combat vehicles, which the unit received at the end of 2020, it said.
Over 500 troops and about 50 items of combat and special hardware, four Mil Mi-8AMTSh Terminator helicopters, two Kamov Ka-52 Alligator helicopter gunships, and two Sukhoi Su-25 attack aircraft are involved in the maneuvers, the Defense Ministry said.
A tactical exercise has simultaneously started in the Ivanovo region, involving over 700 troops, about 100 items of combat and special hardware, and seven Ilyushin Il-76MD military transport planes, it said.
The paratroopers will practice taking control of and destroying an illegal armed unit's command center and training camp, it said.
The paratroopers and artillerists are expected to march on board their service vehicles to the Pesochnoye range in the Yaroslavl region, where they should practice firing 2K-AU weapons of BMD fighting vehicles and small arms while on the offensive. A unit of Orlan-10 drones will be used for aerial reconnaissance and artillery fire adjustment, it said.
"A total of over 1,200 troops and some 150 items of combat and special hardware are involved in the two exercises," the Defense Ministry said.