MOSCOW. Sep 16 (Interfax) - The return of Russian troops and hardware from Belarus following the strategic Zapad (West) 2021 exercise has begun, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
"The troops of the Western Military District, the Landing Forces and Russian Aerospace Forces aviation involved in the joint strategic exercise Zapad 2021 on the training grounds Obuz-Lesnovsky and Brestsky on the territory of the Republic of Belarus have started returning to their permanent bases in the Russian Federation," the report said.
The Russian Defense Ministry earlier said the Zapad 2021 exercise conducted on the territory of Russia and Belarus on September 10-15 involved some 200,000 troops, up to 760 pieces of combat equipment, including 290 tanks, 240 pieces of ordnance, MRLS systems and mortars, and also up to 15 ships.
Some 2,500 Russian troops were transferred to Belarus for the exercise, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
"The military units of the guard tank army and the Landing Forces are now conducting marches to railway stations and aerodromes, where they are loading military-transport planes on railway platforms. Engineers have started preparing the aviation equipment for flights to the base aerodromes in the Russian Federation. The first military trains are already on their way," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a report.
The crews of military-transport, long-range, operative-tactical and army aviation of the Aerospace Forces and the Western Military District have started redeployment from the operative airfields on the territory of Russia to their permanent bases after the Zapad 2021 exercise, the ministry said.
"Ilyushin Il-76, Tupolev Tu-22M3, Sukhoi Su-35S, Sukhoi Su-30SM, and Sukhoi Su-34 planes, Kamov Ka-52, Mi-28N, Mi-35, Mi-24, and Mi-8 helicopters of various modifications used in various episodes of the exercise will be taken to their base airfields shortly," the report said.
According to earlier reports, the Northern Fleet has conducted major maneuvers in the Arctic simultaneously with the Zapad 2021 exercise.
The Northern Fleet press service reported on September 15 that the process of returning troops from the maneuvers in the Arctic zone, which involved some 8,000 troops, some 50 ships, 120 planes and helicopters, had begun.