Russian-Mongolian military exercise begins in Russian Buryatia

Moscow(Itar-Tass): The Russian-Mongolian military exercise codenamed Selenga 2012 begins friday at the training range Burduny near the city of Kyakhta in Russia`s Buryatia, the News Agecies said.

The Mongolian side will be represented by motorized infantry and tank units as well as an AD and a mortar battery. Russia will be represented by motorized infantry and tank units as well as batteries of the Grad multiple-launch rocket system and Gvozdika (Carnation) self-propelled gun mounts. The Russian-Mongolian combined force created for the period of the exercise will carry out an imaginary antiterrorist operation in an underpopulated mountain-woody area and work out methods to settle a crisis situation to ensure security in the region. It will plan an antiterrorist operation, will block and destroy imaginary illegal armed groups as well as will ensure the withdrawal of refugees from the conflict zone, the press service told News agencies. A military contingent of the Mongolian Armed Forces arrived in Burduny yesterday. The joint military exercise Selenga is held regularly for the past five years, starting from 2008. Russia has hosted the exercise four times, while last year it was held in Mongolia. The Selenga 2012 exercise involves about 250 Mongolian military, as well as about 300 military of the Russian Eastern Military District. All in all about 100 units of military hardware will be involved on both sides. The military exercise will continue till September 29. PTI