In August and September, the military units of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan will hold a series of joint drills with their Russian counterparts on the border with Afghanistan.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the main emphasis during the drills will be on the fight against illegal armed groups.
The drill will culminate in a joint exercise of the armed forces of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s "Peace Mission-2021".
The Russian will be represented by the 15th Peacekeeping and 55th Mountain Motorized Rifle Brigades, as well as aircraft units of the 31st Airborne Assault Brigade. In addition, the drills will be attended by the 2nd and 24th special brigades of the Russian Armed Forces, units of special routes of the general army. Air groups from Russian bases in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, as well as S-300 defense systems from the 201st military base, will also be involved.
Currently, the Taliban is gaining momentum in Afghanistan following the pullout of the U.S. and NATO troops. Although the Taliban has vowed not to use Afghan territory to attack Central Asian states and Russia, there is a threat that fighting in Afghanistan could spill over to the neighboring countries.
