YEKATERINBURG. Oct 29 (Interfax) - Russian Central Military District personnel have returned to their bases from training ranges in Tajikistan after taking part in military maneuvers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) near the border with Afghanistan, the press service for the Central Military District said on Friday.
"The units headed back to base in a combined fashion and using different routes. Transport airplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces helped fly back troops and military hardware," the press service said.
Helicopters from the air force of Russia's 201st military base, which is located in Tajikistan but is part of Russia's Central Military District, provided an escort and cover for the convoys, it said.
As reported earlier, the CSTO simultaneously held three military exercises - the Poisk 2021 reconnaissance maneuvers, the Interaction 2021 training exercise of rapid response forces, and the Echelon 2021 logistics drills - at two Tajik training ranges near the border with Afghanistan from October 18 to October 23.
The aforementioned maneuvers involved more than 4,000 servicemen from the CSTO member countries and over 500 pieces of hardware. Units of Russia's 201st military base in Tajikistan made up the core of the Russian contingent to the drills.