Putin Arrives in Nizhny Novgorod to Attend Zapad-2021 Drills

• 09.13.2021, 18:34
•  Europe,  EEU,  World

© РИА Новости / Алексей Никольский

Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in the Nizhny Novgorod region to attend the main stage of the Zapad-2021 Russian-Belarusian joint strategic drills at the Mulino testing ground, TASS reports. 

During the main stage of the exercises, Russian army units, jointly with military contingents from Armenia, Belarus, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Mongolia will drill joint actions to repel an enemy offensive, to conduct flexible defense, to deliver targeted fire attack and crush the enemy.

The drills are held on a vast territory spanning from the Baltic coastline in the westernmost Kaliningrad region to firing ranges in the Voronezh and Nizhny Novgorod regions in central European Russia. The exercises involve about 200,000 troops, more than 80 warplanes and helicopters, up to 760 combat vehicles, including 290 tanks, more than 240 missile systems and mortars, and up to 15 warships. Of them, 12,800 troops, including up to 2,500 Russian servicemen, more than 30 warplanes and helicopters, up to 350 combat vehicles, including 140 tanks and up to 110 missile systems will be involved in the drills on Belarus’ territory.