In Russia, the active phase of the Center-2019 international strategic command post exercises (CSU) begins. Almost all maneuvers take place at eight training grounds of the Ground Forces and the Aerospace Forces of the Russian Federation, as well as in the waters of the Caspian Sea. Some tasks will be worked out on the territory of the countries participating in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

In total, 128 thousand military personnel, more than 20 thousand units of equipment and weapons, about 600 aircraft and up to 15 ships will be involved in the exercises. The opening ceremony of the maneuvers took place on September 15th.

The participants in the strategic exercises were the troops of the Central, Western, Southern and Eastern districts, airborne units, long-range aviation units and military personnel from seven foreign states - China, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The main events will unfold in the Orenburg region at the Donguz training ground. It is there that foreign units will operate.

“At the Totsky and Adanak training grounds in the European part of Russia, in the area of ​​application of the Vienna Document 2011 on measures to build confidence and security, as well as at the Donguz training ground, up to 12,950 people will be involved. Of these, there are up to 10,700 military personnel of the Russian Federation and up to 2,250 foreign states, ”Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said at a September 12 briefing.

Tasks on maneuvers will be performed by a coalition group, the backbone of which will be the troops of the Central Military District (CVO).

The active phase of the exercises will be held in two stages. At the first (its duration is three days), the military command and control bodies of the international forces will clarify plans for the use of troops in repelling an air attack, conducting reconnaissance and search and defensive actions.

At the second stage, which will end on September 21, the participants of the Center-2019 exercises will work out the issues of managing a coalition group to launch a massive fire attack on the enemy. The maneuvers will be watched by over 100 foreign military specialists from 71 states, including from NATO member countries.

Southern Frontier Threat Elimination

KSHU "Center-2019" are anti-terrorist in nature. According to legend, friendly states formed coalition forces to protect themselves from aggression by international radical Islamist groups, which strengthened their positions in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Against this background, on the southwestern borders of Russia, according to the legend of the teachings, a self-proclaimed quasi-state entity has appeared, whose leadership shares an extremist ideology. The militants plan to enter into an alliance with the leaders of the terrorists of other countries. Possessing sufficiently developed armed forces, a quasi-state exerts "force pressure" on the Russian Federation and the countries of Central Asia.

  • Paratroopers of the Russian Armed Forces land from a Mi-8 helicopter
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  • © Ilya Pitalev

“The idea of ​​the exercise meant a conditional adversary, not related to a particular state. According to our estimates, the situation stipulated by the scenario of the exercises can develop in any region of the world, ”explained Colonel General Fomin.

The main objective of the participants in the maneuvers is to practice actions as part of a coalition group and increase the interoperability of the military command and control bodies of the allied states.

“As part of preparations for this large-scale event, since June, issues of localization by the state and the armed forces of military threats, the management of troop groups in the fight against international terrorism and the prevention of possible aggression in the Central Asian region have been worked out,” the Russian Defense Minister said on September 3 at a conference call. Sergey Shoigu.

The head of the military department also emphasized that the maneuvers are defensive in nature, not directed against any country, but "the opposing side means conditional states that contribute to the spread of terrorism."

In an interview with RT, Vadim Kozyulin, professor at the Academy of Military Sciences, senior researcher at the Center for Political Studies of Russia, noted the relevance of the legend of KSHU “Center-2019”. According to him, the spread of international terrorism is one of the key threats to the national security of the Russian Federation and its partners in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the CSTO.

“Moscow is constantly monitoring the development of the situation in Central Asia. Dozens of exercises are held annually within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), they are practicing the blockade and destruction of illegal armed groups that invaded the region and pose a threat to the southern borders of our country. The final phase, as a rule, takes place in October - November in Tajikistan, where the Russian 201st military base is deployed, ”said Kozyulin.

The analyst believes that the Center-2019 exercises are designed to work out the “stopping of two main negative scenarios” - the “uprising” of Islamist gangs in Central Asia and the invasion of radical gangs from abroad, primarily Afghanistan.

In May 2019, at a meeting of security leaders of the CIS member states, the Director of the FSB of Russia, Alexander Bortnikov, said that about 5,000 militants from the IG * Vilayat Khorasan branch are concentrated in the northern provinces of Afghanistan. A significant part of the terrorists are citizens of post-Soviet republics who have gained combat experience in Syria.

According to the FSB, Islamists, disguised as refugees and labor migrants, infiltrate the CIS countries, where they merge with local organized crime. The financial base of terrorists is replenished through the sale of drugs, weapons and the protection of illegal migration. Moreover, militant emissaries infiltrate the diasporas and community, recruiting new supporters.

“It is regrettable to admit that after the collapse of the USSR, the Central Asian region was in a very vulnerable position. Recruiters take advantage of the discontent of Muslim peoples with the socio-economic situation and the fact that the vast majority of the population is poorly versed in Islamic culture. So in Central Asia, a breeding ground was formed for the propaganda of radicalism, ”said Kozulin.

“The army must prepare”

Another task of KShU is to verify the combat readiness of the Central Military District. As Fomin explained, every year the Ministry of Defense holds strategic exercises, where the troops of one of the military districts are mainly involved. At the same time, the scale of maneuvers is constantly increasing. For example, the Center-2015 exercises involved 95 thousand military personnel, more than 7 thousand units of military equipment, up to 170 aircraft and 20 ships.

Current maneuvers will become an exam primarily for the ground troops of the Central Military District. About 250 tanks, 450 infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, and up to 200 artillery and missile systems will be attracted to the KShU. The main participant in the maneuvers will be the 2nd Guards Combined Arms Army.

  • Russian Armed Forces officer gives order to troops
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  • © Igor Zarembo

Retired Colonel Mikhail Khodarenok in an interview with RT said that the primary goal of the Center-2019 KShU is to "hone combat coordination of various types and branches of the Russian Armed Forces." The format of strategic exercises makes it possible to fully assess the level of combat and operational training of army units.

“In peacetime, the army should prepare for war, working out a variety of scenarios of potential armed conflicts and introducing the combat experience gained earlier. How well she does it, the tasks will be successfully solved in real combat conditions. In addition, exercises are always a demonstration of military power, a certain signal to partners and ill-wishers, ”Khodarenok explained.

The expert called the “adequate” cyclical nature of strategic command and control posts, which allows you to routinely check the combat readiness of units and formations of four military districts. According to Khodarenka, the current system of strategic exercises in Russia helps to "keep the armed forces of our country in constant tension in the best sense of the word."

* “Islamic State” (ISIS, ISIS) - the organization was recognized as terrorist by decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of December 29, 2014.