Tajik-Russian military maneuvers concluded in the Tajik southern Khatlon province on March 30.
Recall, the joint four-day maneuvers for Tajik and Russian servicemen were launched at seven training grounds of Tajikistan on March 27. The Tajik-Russian maneuvers were conducted at the Harbmaidon, Momirak, Fakhrobod, Jairali, Halqayor, Homiyon and Lohour training grounds.
On March 25, Russia's Central Military District said several military planes were brought to Tajikistan from Russia's Kant military base in neighboring Kyrgyzstan to take part in the maneuvers.
The final phase of the maneuvers involving more than 2,000 servicemen along with armored vehicles, artillery, and ground-support aircraft took place yesterday at the Harbmaidon training ground featuring live-fire missions with ground-attack aircraft and combat helicopters.
The scenario of the final phase was reportedly based on annihilating terrorist groups penetrating into Tajikistan from Afghanistan.
Besides, Tajik and Russian special force units rehearsed interaction in rescuing hostages at the Fakhrobod training ground on March 29.
In all, 50,000 Tajik troops and some 2,000 Russian military personnel reportedly participated in the military exercises in Tajikistan from March 27-30.
The Russian military base deployed in Tajikistan is Russia's largest non-naval military facility outside the country. It was officially opened in Tajikistan in 2004 under a previous agreement, which was signed in 1993, and hosts Russia’s largest military contingent deployed abroad.
A total of some 7,000 Russian troops are now stationed at two military facilities collectively known as the 201st military base – in Dushanbe and Qurghon Teppa, some 100 kilometers from Dushanbe.
