Russian Base in Tajikistan Put on Alert as Part of Fire Artillery Drills

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The troops of Russia's 201st military base, located near Tajikistan's Dushanbe, were put on alert as a part of military drills and are marching to the vicinity of the Harbmaidon range at the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border, Russia's Central Military District spokesman Col. Yaroslav Roschupkin said Tuesday.

"The units of the 201st Russian military base, located in the Republic of Tajikistan, were put on alert as a part of the ongoing tactic fire artillery exercise. Teams and crews have started marching to the vicinity of the Harbmaidon range near the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border. They will have to walk up to 300 kilometers of mountain spiral roads. The Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters provide air support for the troops," Roschupkin said.

According to the spokesman, the participants of the drills will practice cooperating in single operational scenario, defense, blocking and neutralizing illegal armed groups. Grad and Uragan multiple rocket launcher systems, as well as military aviation will provide support for motorized infantry.

The drills will continue until the end of week and involve over 800 troops and more than 100 units of military hardware, he added.

Russia and Tajikistan are bound by a 1997 agreement on cooperation in the sphere of defense and prevention and elimination of emergency situations.

The Russian military base in Tajikistan houses the largest ground force of the Russian Armed Forces outside the country. The agreement on establishment of the base, created by reorganizing the 201st division, expires in 2042.