Russia and Central Asian countries plan joint military drills on the Afghan border

The initiator of a series of joint military exercises that will last from August to September was the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

The troops will prepare for military operations in case of border crossing by the Taliban and other terrorist groups.

The series of exercises include exercises for fighting illegal armed groups, as well as countering the destabilization of the situation in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. After a series of drills, the countries will hold “Peace Mission – 2021” joint maneuvers.

Russia will use motorized, mountain, and airmobile units, special forces, aviation, and artillery, as well as air defense forces in the exercises. Air groups of Russian bases in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and S-300 air defense systems as part of the 201st military base in Tajikistan will also be involved.

Exercises will be held in the Surkhandarya region of Uzbekistan in early August – the training field is located in Termez, bordering Afghanistan. Russian and Uzbek soldiers will train to fight against conditional illegal formations, as well as work out reconnaissance missions and ambushes in mountains.

In September, Kyrgyzstan will host the special exercise “Frontier 2021” of the Collective Rapid Deployment Forces of the Central Asian Region, established in 2001 by CSTO member States, based on the Edelweiss training center.