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Military Drills Get Underway in Russia With 1,500 Paratroopers Taking Part

Sputnik News

11:28 26.02.2015(updated 13:25 26.02.2015)

Russians Defense Ministry launched military drills with around 1,500 people and 200 units of military equipment taking part in the exercises.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Approximately 1,500 paratroopers are participating in military exercises in the Kostroma region in Central Russia, a Russian Defense Ministry source said Thursday.

"There are about 1,500 people and 200 units of military equipment involved in the exercises," the source said.

Other military drills are currently underway in Pskov Region in Russia's northeast. The exercises in Pskov involve some 2,000 troops and 500 units of military equipment.

Russian Defense Ministry officials repeatedly stated that in recent years Russia has been holding significantly more military exercises than in the 1990s or the 2000s. This in part has been caused by increased NATO military activities close to Russia's borders.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in December that Russia planned to carry out at least 4,000 drills in 2015.

© Sputnik