MOSCOW. April 19 (Interfax) - The Engels long-range aviation unit, which is stationed in the Kaluga, Murmansk and Saratov regions, has started a command post exercise involving airstrikes training, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
"As part of the exercise, military personnel will practice defending particularly important facilities and infrastructure, as well as strikes with airborne weapons on designated targets," the ministry said in a statement published on its website.
During the exercise, units will practice conducting radiation, chemical and biological surveillance in a designated area, while the airfield support battalion will train to restore runway and taxiways damaged by a mock enemy, it said.
"Particular attention will be paid to the time taken by the on-duty forces to notify [remaining] military personnel, the arrival of servicemen at their assigned positions, and to receiving their assigned weapons," the Russian Defense Ministry said.
The airbase of the Russian Aerospace Forces located near Engels in the Saratov region is one of the largest units of the aviation component of Russia's nuclear deterrence forces. The airbase is equipped with Tupolev Tu-160 and Tu-95MS strategic bombers and Tu-22M3 long-range bombers.