Servicemen of the Russian Airborne Troops and the Belarusian Special Operations Forces began their joint exercise in the western Russian region of Pskov on Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry said, Eurasia Diary reports citing Tass News.
A formal ceremony to launch the drills was held in the region on Monday afternoon.
"During the upcoming exercises, servicemen will have to complete a series of combat training tasks, including an airdrop mission, taking control of a facility, performing a raid and engaging in a defensive action," said Col. Roman Samokhin, a deputy commander of the Pskov-based air assault force.
The first joint exercise of Russian airborne forces and the Belarussian special operations force in 2020 will be held on February 18-21 at Strugi Krasnye and Zavelichye ranges in Pskov region. It will engage over 400 Russian paratroopers and close to a hundred units of hardware and 80 Belarussian commandos, as well as two Mi-24 and eight Mi-8AMTSH helicopters of the Western Military District and four Il-76MD airlifters.