OPUK RANGE (Crimea), (Sputnik) – A total of more than 120,000 Russian troops are taking part in strategic command and staff Kavkaz-2016 exercises across the country, the Russian Defense Ministry’s head of General Staff said Friday.
"Over 120,000 soldiers, members of the federal ministries and departments… took part at different stages of these activities across the Southern, Central, Western military districts and the Northern Fleet," Gen. Valery Gerasimov told reporters.
Gerasimov noted that wide-ranging combat readiness inspections in the ensuing months would serve as the final stage of the drills this year.
"I would like to point out that the aircraft involved in the exercises actively used the experience gained in the Syrian Arab Republic while performing the assigned tasks," he added.
