Russian Soldiers Hold Over 1,000 Winter Drone Exercises - Defense Ministry

Southern Military District’s press service announced that Russian military personnel have carried out more than 1,000 tactical and special exercises using drones during the winter training period.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russian military personnel have carried out more than 1,000 tactical and special exercises using drones during the winter training period in South Ossetia and North Ossetia-Alania ranges, the Southern Military District’s press service announced Monday.

"During the winter training period in South Ossetia’s Dzartsemi and North Ossetia-Alania republic’s Tarskoye training grounds the military base units carried out more than 1,000 tactical and special exercises using unmanned aerial vehicles," the press release said.

According to the Southern Military District, the soldiers used several kinds of drones to practice equipment control, shoot enemy military targets and conduct reconnaissance.

Russia carried out drone drills in Tajikistan in late May in light of a surge of activity by the Taliban group on the Tajik-Afgani border.

In May 2014, the Russian Defense Ministry said it would spend about $9.2 billion on acquiring new drones and training military personnel to operate unmanned aerial vehicles before 2020.