Russia has launched the Kavkaz-2020 strategic drills on Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry informed, noting that in total, over 80,000 people are involved in the drills.
The ministry informed that the strategic drills Kavkaz-2020 would take place at several training grounds of the Southern Military District.
Fighter jets of Russia’s Southern Military District are on combat duty within the framework of the Kavkaz-2020 drills that started on Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry’s press service informed.
"Crews of Su-27 and Su-30SM fighter jets of the Southern Military District are on combat air defense duty at operative airfields in the Republic of Crimea, the Krasnodar, Stavropol and Rostov Regions within the strategic command post drills Kavkaz-2020," the ministry informed.
About 80,000 people will be involved in the drills, the ministry stated.
Russia’s Armed Forces will pay particular attention to combating cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles during the Kavkaz 2020 military exercise.
"The Kavkaz-2020 drills will particularly focus on combating cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as on fire and electronic warfare activities against entire enemy formations, on training airborne troops’ vertical envelopment capability and ways to rapidly shift between military activities," TASS cited the message as saying.
The decision was made based on the experience gained during various armed conflicts, including the Syrian one. Another focus will be on using weapons and military equipment at different times of the day and conducting deep-penetration raids.
About 60 Ilyushin Il-76 military transport planes have been moved to operational airfields as part of the Kavkaz (or Caucasus) 2020 military exercise.
"The flights were carried out from the planes’ home airfields in the Tver, Pskov, Orenburg, Ulyanovsk and Rostov regions. About 60 Il-76 military transport aircraft have been moved," the statement reads.
According to the Defense Ministry, the distance of the flights was up to 2,000 kilometers.
Along with Russia, military units from Armenia, Belarus, China, Myanmar and Pakistan will be involved in the exercises. No more than 1,000 foreign troops will take part in the drills. Representatives of Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Sri Lanka will act as observers.
The Kavkaz-2020 exercise will be held from September 21 to 26 on the territory of the Southern Military District, in Black and Caspian seas under the direction of Chief of the Russian General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov. Up to 12,900 servicemen will take place in episodes covered by the Vienna Document of the Negotiations on Confidence and Security-Building Measures of 2011.
