Four Sukhoi Su-25 attack aircraft from a wing of Russia's Kant integrated airbase in Kyrgyzstan have been relocated to the Gissar airfield near Dushanbe to participate in 'Interaction-2021' – the joint exercise of the Collective Rapid Reaction Force (CRRF) of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) being held at the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border.

"During the active phase of the CSTO CRRF joint exercise 'Interaction-2021', the crews of attack aircraft will work out the search and destruction of objects of the imaginary enemy," the Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement today after the Su-25 arrived from their permanent airfield at Kant.  
 
"They will provide fire support from the air to motorized rifle and tank subunits in the course of training and combat missions in mountainous desert terrain," it added.

The joint Russian military base deployed in the suburbs of Kyrgyzstan capital Bishkek since October 2003 is armed with Su-25 attack aircraft and Mi-8MTV helicopters. The military unit is structurally part of the Air Force and Air Defence of Russia's Central Military District, but is also an aviation component of the Collective Rapid Deployment Forces and participates in ensuring the security of the territory and airspace of the CSTO member states.

As reported by India Narrative earlier this week, units of the Russian military base in Tajikistan have already arrived at the Harb-Maidon training ground, located in the south of the country, just 20 kilometers from the Tajik-Afghan border, where three large-scale CSTO military exercises will be held.

These exercises – Interaction, Search and Echelon – will take place against the background of the destabilization of the situation in neighbouring Afghanistan after the return of Taliban.

Over 2700 military personnel of the armed forces of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan will take part in the special training of forces.

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