RUSSIA, U.S. SIMULTANEOUSLY LAUNCHED EXERCISES IN CAUCASUS

Kommersant
July 15 2008
Russia

Nowadays, the Caucasus is the venue of large-scale military
exercises. The United States and former Soviet republics train their
military to the south of Russia’s border, while the troops of the
RF North Caucasus Military District hold exercises in its northern
portion.

Russia’s exercises, Caucasus 2008, involve units of the North Caucasus
Military District, Airborne Forces, Air Forces, Air Defense Forces as
well as the military of the RF Black Sea Fleet, FSB Regional Frontier
Department and Interior Force Command of the RF Interior Ministry.

"The key aim of exercises is to evaluate capability of military
control bodies for join actions in the environment of terror threat in
Russia’s South," said Colonel Igor Konashenkov, who is in charge of
the information and public relations department of Moscow District’s
Land Forces.

Some 8,000 servicemen take part in the exercises of Russia’s military.

In its turn, Pentagon appropriated $8 billion to fund the U.S.-Georgian
Immediate Response-2008, which also involves military of Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Ukraine. The strength of that war-game is 1,650.