DUSHANBE (TASS) — Large-scale military exercises of Tajikistan and Russia, which began on April 19 and involved over 50,000 personnel, were completed on Saturday, a spokesperson for the Defence Ministry of Tajikistan has told TASS.

The ministry’s chief spokesman Faridun Mahmadalizoda said:

Summing up the results, the head of the Defence Ministry of Tajikistan spoke highly of preparedness, demonstrated by participants of the large-scale joint exercises.

It was also reported that Russian Central Military District Commander Colonel-General Alexander Lapin described those drills as “important and timely amid the current volatile situation” and praised mutually beneficial military cooperation of Tajikistan and Russia.

The tactical exercise was held on April 19-23 at Tajikistan’s Harb-Maidon, Momirak and Sambuli training ranges. In involved over 50,000 personnel, including 9,000 Tajik servicemen and over 2,500 servicemen from Russia’s 201^st military base in Tajikistan.

It engaged about 700 items of armament, military and special hardware from Tajikistan and Russia, including Su-25SM attack aircraft, Mi-24 and Mi-8 helicopters, T-72 tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and armoured personnel carriers, Grad and Uragan multiple rocket launchers, Gvozdika and Akatsiya artillery guns.

Administrative heads of 25 cities and region of Tajikistan’s Khatlon region, as well as officers of law enforcement and special services took part in the exercises. During the final stage of the drills, armed forces of Tajikistan and Russia carried out an operation aimed at preventing a border breach, detecting and eliminating a notional enemy. Troops also carried out various manoeuvrers at lowlands and highlands, as well as in cities, towns and at strategically important facilities.