Russian, Mongolian servicemen hold first training exercises at Selenga-2015 drills
MOSCOW. Aug 20 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian and Mongolian servicemen have begun their first joint drills as part of the Selenga-2015 international exercises at the Tsugol training ground in the Trans-Baikal territory, chief press officer of the Eastern Military District Col. Alexander Gordeyev told Interfax-AVN on Thursday.
"The participants in the war games have drilled practical actions to steer and clear a water obstacle using several types of Russian ground military hardware, including the T-72B3 tank, BMP-2 infantry combat vehicle, BTR-80 armored personnel carrier and the BTR-82A armored personnel carrier which has recently been brought into military service," Gordeyev said.
He said that during the war games a section of the Onon river, around 2.5 meters deep and around 120 meters wide, had been crossed. The performance of this difficult drill was complicated by a strong river current running at more than 1.5 meters per second.
Gordeyev said that servicemen from Mongolia under the command of Russian counterparts have cleared the water barrier for the first time.
"Then during joint training the combat and landing of a tactical airborne party is planned," he said.
It was earlier reported that, at the military exercises, the Russian-Mongolian joint army grouping would drill joint tactical actions during the counter-terrorist operation.