The military units of the Russian Federation Armed Forces, in cooperation with troop contingents from the armed forces of Armenia, Belarus, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia carry out drills to repel a simulated enemy attack, conduct mobile defence operations, launch a concentrated strike and defeat an enemy formation that has penetrated defensive positions.
Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov informed the President that the exercises in the Nizhny Novgorod Region involved about 20,000 officers and soldiers, 5,600 items of weapons and military equipment, about 160 tanks, over 100 aircraft and over 100 helicopters.
The President watched operations involving combat robot units, as well as the most advanced BMP B-19 infantry fighting vehicle with the Epokha combat module. While visiting the training ground, Vladimir Putin also inspected a mobile bakery and a self-contained public catering facility.
The Russian and Belarusian armed forces hold strategic exercises once every two years. In 2021, the drills are taking place from September 10 to 16 at nine training grounds on Russia’s territory, in the Baltic Sea and also at five training grounds of the Belarusian Armed Forces. Overall, the exercises involve up to 200,000 military personnel.