MOSCOW, April 13. /TASS/: The motor rifle troops of Russia’s Eastern Military District supported by Mi-8AMTSh assault helicopters thwarted a tank breakthrough during force-on-force drills in the Amur Region, the District’s press office reported on Monday.
"Force-on-force tactical drills with the use of artillery and army aviation took place at the Yekaterinoslavsky training range in the Amur Region under the scenario of a present-day joint force combined arms battle," the press office said in a statement.
"Under the scenario, the motor rifle troops organized the defense but the tank columns broke through the forward positions. At a critical moment, a pair of Mi-8AMTSh gunships delivered notional air strikes against the tanks," the statement says.
The helicopters carried out several sorties on the armored columns, helping to stop the attack, according to the statement.
Before engaging in the battle, the fighting sides stealthily maneuvered for several days, carrying out camouflaging measures and assuming advantageous tactical positions, the press office said.
Overall, the joint force drills involved over 150 items of military hardware, including T-80BV tanks that had recently arrived for the troops, and also BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled artillery guns, Mi-8AMTSh helicopters and other weapon systems.
