OREANDA-NEWS. July 16, 2008. The active stage of Caucasus 2008 large-scale military exercises started in several regions of the Southern Federal District of the Russian Federation.

The exercise involves units of the North Caucasus Military District, Airborne Troops, Air Force Command, Black sea Fleet naval base, Caspian Flotilla, border troops and Interior troops regional command.

The exercise involves some 8,000 military personnel and about 700 armor units.

The main goal of the exercise is to estimate ability of military command to joint actions in conditions of terrorist threat in the South of Russia.

In view of escalation of the Georgian-Abkhazian and Georgian-Ossetic conflicts, during the exercise questions of participation in special operations on peace enforcement in zones of confrontations will be fulfilled.

More than 140 tactical exercises of divisional, brigade, regiment and battalion scale are planned to be held in 2008 summer training period.