"Ensuring the security of the south-west of the country": what tasks is Russia solving within the framework of the started exercises "Caucasus-2020"

On Monday, September 21, the Kavkaz-2020 strategic command-and-staff exercise (CMC) began at the Russian training grounds.

In addition to the ground forces, they involve parts of the navy, air defense, combat, logistics and technical support.

Also, units of the Russian Guard and the Ministry of Emergencies are involved in the maneuvers.

In total, about 80 thousand people are taking part in the exercises.

At the same time, Moscow is following the requirements of the Vienna Document of 2011, which prohibits the concentration of more than 13,000 troops under a single operational command.

“In total, it is planned to attract about 80 thousand people to the Kavkaz-2020 command and control squadron ... At the same time, the maximum number of personnel involved in military units subject to the Vienna Document 2011 in exercises held under a single operational command will be up to 12 900 servicemen, ”the RF Ministry of Defense said earlier.

Up to 450 infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, up to 250 tanks, up to 200 artillery installations and multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), as well as a variety of aircraft, air defense systems and warships will be involved in the practical activities of the troops.

According to the plan of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the Prudboy (Volgograd Region), Ashuluk (Astrakhan Region), Kapustin Yar (Astrakhan Region), Arzgirsky (Stavropol Territory), Kopan (Krasnodar Territory), as well as separate areas of the Black and Caspian seas.

The events within the SCSU will end on September 26.

As Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on September 8, the aim of the Caucasus-2020 exercise is "to assess the ability of the Southern Military District to ensure military security in the south-west of the country."

During the exercise, the issues of managing groupings of troops, formations and units in joint operations to localize and resolve armed conflicts related to countering terrorism will be worked out, Shoigu explained.

On September 11, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin, during a briefing for foreign military attachés, recalled that military command and control operations in Russia are of a planned cyclical nature and are held once a year in one of the military districts of Russia.

So, in 2017, the strategic exercise "West" was held, in 2018 - "East", in 2019 - "Center".

The spirit of the "unifying event"

Along with the Russians, servicemen from Armenia, Belarus, China, Myanmar and Pakistan are taking part in the Caucasus-2020 exercise.

The total number of soldiers and officers of foreign armies does not exceed 1,000. Representatives of Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Sri Lanka are present at the MPS as observers.

The most numerous group of troops in Russia was sent by Minsk.

The exercises will involve about 350 Belarusian servicemen, more than 30 tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, six 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery mounts.

• Foreign officers at the ceremony of raising the flags of the participating countries of the Caucasus 2020

• © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

“During the exercise, Belarusian servicemen as part of the coalition group of forces will work out the issues of defense, repelling enemy air strikes, going over to the offensive and then defeating it,” the website of the Russian Defense Ministry says.

It was originally planned that formations from India and Serbia would arrive at Kavkaz-2020.

However, in late August, New Delhi reported that the military would not come to Russia due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In turn, Belgrade announced the forced introduction of a six-month moratorium on participation in all international maneuvers.

As the Minister of Defense of Serbia Aleksandr Vulin explained on September 9, such a decision was made in order to maintain military neutrality, since the West is putting pressure on the republic, forcing it to refuse to participate in maneuvers with Belarusian servicemen.

Experts believe that the refusal of India and Serbia to send troops to the command post will not have any impact on the course of the exercises.

In an interview with RT, the head of the Bureau of Military-Political Analysis, Alexander Mikhailov, noted that the Caucasus-2020 exercises are aimed mainly at working out tasks by the forces of the Russian army, which is eloquently evidenced by the total number of servicemen involved in the units of the RF Armed Forces.

“With the help of the Caucasus-2020 exercises, our country first of all solves the issues of increasing the combat readiness of the units of the Southern Military District.

This is the key meaning of the SCS data.

The presence of foreign troops is more of a foreign policy focus.

For various reasons, the two states did not arrive, but on the whole, the list of participants and observers, in my opinion, looks quite solid, ”Mikhailov said.

According to the analyst, the Caucasus-2020 exercise preserved the spirit of a “unifying event”, which is also manifested at the International Army Games, held with the support of the RF Ministry of Defense.

Also, Mikhailov notes, command and control squads allow you to work out a number of episodes of practical interaction between Russian and foreign troops.

As Alexander Fomin explained, at the Caucasus-2020 exercises, joint activities of the RF Armed Forces and foreign troops will be implemented in two stages.

During the first stage, it is planned to work out the issues of interaction between the contingents of the countries participating in the command post in order to destroy international terrorist groups, which, according to legend, support the forces of a conditional enemy state.

At the second stage, the tasks of direct command and control of subunits of the multinational force grouping during the conduct of joint combat operations will be accomplished.

• Servicemen of the RF Armed Forces practice tasks at the training ground

• © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

As Russian Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov emphasized on September 19, the Caucasus-2020 exercises are aimed at improving professional skills and do not pursue aggressive goals.

“I would like to note that these events (within the framework of the SKSHU. -

) are not aggressive.

This is an opportunity in practice in a peaceful environment to organize interaction and mutual understanding between the servicemen of our military contingents, ”Pankov stressed.

"Special geopolitical significance"

The start of the Caucasus-2020 exercise was preceded by a lengthy stage of preparation, which was expressed in a series of military maneuvers in southern Russia.

In addition, one of the most important measures that preceded the command post was a sudden check of the combat readiness of the troops of the Southern and Western military districts, the Airborne Forces, units of the marines of all fleets and the Caspian flotilla.

It was held from 17 to 21 July by the decision of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the RF Armed Forces, Vladimir Putin.

“Motorized rifle, tank and artillery formations made many kilometers of marches, worked out loading onto railway platforms and aircraft.

The troops have solved the tasks of organizing a mobile defense and offensive actions, ”Shoigu said on August 5 when summing up the results of a surprise check.

According to the Minister of Defense, the measures taken have shown that the combat capability of the Russian army has not decreased due to the coronavirus pandemic.

At all stages of the verification activities, the servicemen strictly complied with the safety requirements, the safety of weapons and ammunition, Shoigu said.

In a commentary on RT, the head of the RISS regional security sector, Sergei Ermakov, said that the launched command and control squads are aimed at increasing military coordination and practicing the deployment of the armed forces in the event of a military threat.

“It is important to note that the exercises are taking place in the interior of the country.

By this step, Moscow demonstrates its desire to increase stability on the European continent, to exclude any ambiguous interpretation of the SPS.

At the same time, NATO member countries continue to conduct exercises in the immediate vicinity of the Russian borders, "Ermakov stated.

• Russian soldiers in training

• © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

In turn, Alexander Mikhailov adheres to a slightly different point of view.

In his opinion, the Caucasus-2020 exercises are aimed, among other things, at demonstrating to the North Atlantic Alliance the capabilities of the RF Armed Forces to repel even the most large-scale aggressive actions.

“The exercises in the south of Russia are of a planned nature, but in light of the growing military activity of NATO on the southern borders of our country, they acquire special geopolitical significance.

Of particular concern are the flights of US strategic bombers near the Russian border.

I think that with the current command and control squads, Moscow makes the alliance understand that any provocations in the Crimea, the Azov Sea and the Black Sea coast will sadly end for any potential aggressor, "Mikhailov emphasized.