8 Nov 2021 10:43

Central Military District commander notes escalating terrorist threat coming from Afghanistan

YEKATERINBURG. Nov 8 (Interfax) - Russia's Central Military District is enhancing the preparedness of troops and supplying them with new weapons amid the escalating terrorist threat coming from Afghanistan, Commander Alexander Lapin said.

"An analysis of the military-political situation in the Central Asian region shows an escalation of terrorist threats coming from Afghanistan. Therefore, the Central Military District is focusing on enhancing the combat preparedness of forces, rearming them with new and modernized military hardware, and testing new forms and methods of war," Lapin said after an award ceremony for the winners of the district stage of the all-Russia press festival Media Ace Center 2021.

"There has been a sudden, instant degradation of the situation [in Afghanistan]. We have held over 20 unscheduled operative and tactical exercises in Tajikistan, the most important of which took place at the Harb-Maidon, Momirak, Sambuli, and Lyaur ranges. The international exercise Interaction 2021 was the peak of training in Tajikistan. This exercise finalized the training year. The Unbreakable Brotherhood exercise near Kazan has yet to be held," Lapin said.

In all, the district has held over 200 exercises of various formats and scales this year, including nine exercises involving military contingents from member countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which trained unusual methods for the operation of formations, military units, and detachments in combat, he said.

"We demonstrated the highest degree of preparedness and the ability to neutralize any terrorist threats [during the international exercises]," Lapin said.

Meanwhile, the district has received over 1,000 pieces of new and modernized military hardware, including Sukhoi Su-34 and MiG-31BM aircraft, Kasta and Nebo-U radar stations, S-300PM2 air defense missile systems, BMP-2M infantry fighting vehicles, Terminator combat tank support vehicles, modernized T-72B3M tanks, and Shturm-S anti-tank systems, this year, he said.