The militaries of Russia and Mongolia finished the main phase of joint exercises near the Asian nation’s borders with Russia and China, Moscow said Monday.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the drills — dubbed Selenga-2024 — began last week Monday at a military base near the town of Choibalsan, around 560 kilometers (347.9 miles) east of the capital Ulaanbaatar.
The drills mark the first time Mongolia has hosted a joint military exercise involving a foreign army. It is also the first time both countries have deployed tactical airborne troops during such exercises, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
Around 700 servicemen and 200 pieces of military equipment were involved in Selenga-2024 — including drones, MiG-29 and Su-25 warplanes, Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters and Grad multiple rocket launchers.
Monday’s main phase of the ongoing exercises simulated a “joint Russian-Mongolian group of troops” liberating a settlement taken by “illegal armed groups,” according to the Russian military.
The drills follow U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Mongolia last month, during which he praised the deepening ties between the U.S. and the landlocked democracy.
Mongolia has historical ties with Russia and maintains a critical trading relationship with China.
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