The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), led by China and Russia, kicked off the Peace Mission 2021 at the Orenburg training grounds in Russia, TASS reported on Monday. In a separate exercise, the Russian Navy will conduct missile fire drills on the Black Sea.
Commander of Russia’s Central Military District, Colonel-General Alexander Lapin announced that at least 5,000 troops would participate in the anti-terror drills, with troops from the Republic of Belarus joining as first-time participants.
Peace Mission 2021 will run until September 24 with participants practicing joint responses to threats such as terror attacks or aggression from enemy countries.
The event “will run in two stages and during its active phase the coalition force will practice joint measures in five operational episodes.”
The Russian Black Sea Fleet
The Russian Navy has deployed at least 20 Black Sea ships from naval bases in Sevastopol and Novorossiysk to hold artillery and missile-firing drills on the Black Sea.
In addition to the firing drills, the force will hold drills in minesweeping, anti-submarine warfare, and simulated enemy attacks.
Exercises involving unmanned aerial vehicles and their use in troop support are also planned.