Russian Joint Exercises on Afghanistan Border – Start with Uzbekistan – will Begin with Tajikistan soon

Tashkent; Monitoring Desk; 03 Aug 2021 – According to the statement made by the Ministry of Defense of Uzbekistan, a joint exercise between Russia and Uzbekistan, in which the Uzbek armed forces and Russian soldiers serving in the command of the Russian Central Military Region, started in the Tirmiz polygon on the country’s border with Afghanistan.

Soldiers participating in the exercise will deal with the issue of neutralizing the armed gangs that entered the country illegally. During the exercise, the armed forces of Uzbekistan and Russia will demonstrate their military command, maneuver, defense and attack skills to detect and destroy armed gangs, as well as repel the attacks of the enemy.

1,500 soldiers from both countries are participating in the joint exercise, which will end on August 10 in the country, with 200 military vehicles. Su-25 warplanes and military helicopters operating at the Russian military base in Kyrgyzstan will also support the exercise.

On August 5-10, Russia will hold a joint exercise with Afghanistan’s other neighbor, Tajikistan, near the Afghan border. Nearly a thousand Russian soldiers will participate in the exercise, which will be held in the Harbi-Maydon polygon in the south of the country, with more than 300 military vehicles.

The administration of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, which decided to consolidate their borders with Afghanistan, is holding military exercises on the border, after the conflict between the government forces and the Taliban in the north of Afghanistan increased and the Taliban took over a significant part of the borders with Central Asian countries.

Afghanistan shares 144 kilometers with Uzbekistan and 1344 kilometers with Tajikistan.

Nearly 1,500 Afghan soldiers and more than 500 Afghan citizens fleeing the attacks of the Taliban took refuge in Tajikistan, and more than 100 Afghan soldiers took refuge in Uzbekistan.