RUSSIAN PARATROOPERS IN MILITARY DRILL

PRESS TV
July 17 2008
Iran

Russian paratroopers arrive in North Ossetia to take part in the
active stage of a large-scale military exercise in the North Caucasus.

The paratroopers are from Russia’s 76th Airborne Division and the
exercise has been called "Caucasus 2008". It involves units from the
North Caucasus Military District, mainly the 58th Army, the 4th Air
Force Army, Interior Ministry troops, and border guards.

This is while a spokesperson for Russia’s Ground Forces said on
Wednesday that the personnel, the equipment and ammunition are being
unloaded at the town of "Mozdok" in North Ossetia. He continued
that the paratroopers are scheduled to carry out a forced march
to the allocated zone of operation in the mountains, and they will
then proceed to carry out a series of tactical exercises, including
live-fire drills, RIA Novosti reported.

Meanwhile, an aide to the commander of the North Caucasus Military
District, Lieutenant Colonel Andrei Bobrun for his part said that
the exercise involved about 8,000 military personnel, 700 combat
vehicles and more than 30 aircraft. It will take place on the
territory of Chechnya, North Ossetia, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria,
and Karachayevo-Circassia.

Russian paratroopers

The Russian military said that the whole aim of the exercise was to
work on interoperability between federal troops, Interior Ministry
troops, border guards, and the Air Force in special operations against
militants. He added that the aim was also to work on the defense of
Russia’s state borders, and to practice support of Russian peacekeepers
in Georgia’s breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

However, Georgia for its part protested on Wednesday against the
Russian military exercise near its borders. It said that it was
another sign of hostility against Tbilisi.

This is while on Tuesday, Georgia along with the US also began a
large-scale military exercise dubbed "Immediate Response 2008", near
its capital of Tbilisi. About 1,650 personnel, including troops from
Armenia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine, are to take part in the $8 million
drills, which was planned by the US Armed Forces European Command
and financed by the US Defense Department.

Relations between Russia and Georgia fell to an all time low during
the recent violence in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which broke away
from Tbilisi in the early 1990s.