Russian Military Transferred Practice Of Caucasus-2020 Drills Inland To Avoid Tensions

The Russian Defense Ministry deliberately shifted the practical actions of the Caucasus-2020 strategic exercises inland in order not to provoke tensions in Europe, Chief of the Russian Armed Forces' General Staff, General of the Army Valery Gerasimov said on Friday

KAPUSTIN YAR RANGE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th September, 2020) - The Russian Defense Ministry deliberately shifted the practical actions of the Caucasus-2020 strategic exercises inland in order not to provoke tensions in Europe, Chief of the Russian Armed Forces' General Staff, General of the Army Valery Gerasimov said on Friday.

"The Russian Defense Ministry also adheres to a course aimed at reducing tensions in Europe. In this regard, in 2020, the Armed Forces did not conduct major exercises near the borders of NATO member countries, and large-scale practical actions of troops within the framework of the Caucasus-2020 strategic exercises were deliberately transferred inland," Gerasimov said at a briefing with military attaches of foreign states after the end of the drills.

Gerasimov said that the Russian Defense Ministry was as open as possible to third countries to conduct both the preparation and the strategic exercise itself.

"Traditionally, the preparation and conduct of strategic exercises were based on the principles of maximum permissible openness. Military attaches of foreign states were informed about the goal, tasks, areas, forces and assets involved. ... Information about the actions of troops during the exercise is promptly published on the Russian Defense Ministry resources, as well as leading Russian and foreign news agencies," he said.

He stressed that the exercises were not directed against other countries and were in line with Russian military doctrine, which is defensive in nature.