Counter-terrorism exercise completed successfully

NIKINCI - Members of the Serbian and Russian armed forces successfully completed a joint counter-terrorism exercise Srem 2014 on Friday at the Nikinci training grounds, 70 km west of Belgrade.

Srem 2014 is the largest military exercise of its kind carried out in Serbia in the past three decades.

It included dropping armored transporters from the Ilyushin heavy transport aircrafts, which members of the Russian air forces performed with great skill.

A total of 404 Russian and Serbian troops who participated in the event were commended for the high level of professionalism they displayed by Serbian Defense Minister Bratislav Gasic, Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces General Ljubisa Dikovic, and Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Airborne Troops Colonel General Vladimir Anatolyevich Shamanov.

The goal of the exercise was to improve performance in anti-terrorist operations in multinational missions.

The preparations for Srem 2014 started in March this year, while the final pre-exercise training was held at the Batajnica airbase, on the outskirts of Belgrade, from November 7 to 13.

Ilyushin 76 and MiG 29 airplanes, Mi 8, Mi 17 and Gazela helicopters, armoured personnel carriers and police armoured vehicles took part in the exercise.

The troops used live ammunition, as well as mortars, grenade launchers and long-range rifles.

Photo Tanjug, N. Milosevic (illustration)