Selenga 2020 concludes in Russia

By Monitoring Desk
Tuesday – November 3, 2020
MOSCOW (Russia): The main stage of the Russian-Mongolian Selenga-2020 exercise ended at the Burduny training ground, Monday, in the Republic of Buryatia, units of the Russian eastern military district (EMD) and an operational group of the armed forces of Mongolia took part in the drawing of tactical actions.

According to press releases, the drills are held annually since 2008, until 2011, it was a tactical exercise with live fire and was called Darkhan (translated from Mongolian , ‘builder’), in 2011, the manoeuvres were renamed after the name of the river originating in Mongolia, flowing through the territory of the Republic of Buryatia and flowing into Lake Baikal, from that time on, the exercise began to have an anti-terrorist orientation, in 2019, the exercise took place at the Munh Hat training ground in Mongolia, where the participants worked out the tasks of jointly destroying mock illegal armed groups and protecting a settlement in the border area.

A special feature of the Selenga-2020 joint exercise was the drawing of tactical episodes by the Russian and Mongolian sides, each at their own training grounds, using online monitoring of the course of practical actions using web cameras located at different training points.

For the first time in the Selenga exercise, Russian military personnel used modern intelligence tools and unmanned aircraft systems that collected data for jet, tube artillery and tank units of the EMD.

Tornado-G multiple launch rocket systems and Acacia self-propelled artillery systems destroyed control points, ammunition depots, and air defence systems of the mock enemy. Air cover was provided by Su-25 Grach attack aircraft and Mi-24 attack helicopters.

To defeat the remaining targets and retreating groups of the enemy, assault detachments of tank and motorised rifle units with the support of artillery entered the battle.

It is worth noting that in the course of practical actions on the tactical field, tactics used in modern armed conflicts were used, in particular, firing T-72B tanks from closed firing positions at targets at maximum range.

Mobile electronic warfare groups of the EMD showed their colleagues from Mongolia the effectiveness of using electronic suppression of control channels of a mock enemy’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) using the latest interference station Pole-21. The military suppressed channels linking drones to global satellite and radio navigation systems.

Intelligence units demonstrated comprehensive cover for a column of combat vehicles during the march from ambushes and attacks by sabotage units of a mock enemy.

In addition, the participants of the exercise demonstrated online skills to overcome a minefield and ditch using a tank bridge-laying machine, as well as the evacuation of the wounded from the battlefield in a non-stop way on the external suspension of the Mi-8 AMTSh helicopter.


For the first time at the Selenga-2020 exercise, military personnel performed the latest tactical techniques on army all-terrain vehicles and high-terrain motorcycles. Using standard weapons, the soldiers disoriented the retreating group of conditional militants, forcing them to move to favourable lines.

The operational group of the Mongolian armed forces, which monitored the course of events on the territory of Russia, transmitted the coordinates of the movement of enemy groups to their units via secure radio and video communication channels, which, in turn, defeated the mock militants at the Doytym An training ground.

The joint Russian-Mongolian exercise Selenga-2020 involved tank and motorised rifle units of the combined-arms army of the EMD, stationed in the Republic of Buryatia, with a total strength of about 650 people and more than 100 pieces of equipment.

The troops of the armed forces of Mongolia used about 450 people and more than 100 units of automobile and mechanised equipment at their training ground.

Despite the difficult sanitary and epidemiological situation caused by the spread of a new coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the joint exercise was held at the highest level, where new methods of combating illegal armed groups were tested.

The State flags were lowered and the anthems of the participating countries were sung at the ceremony. Distinguished military personnel were awarded medals of the Russian defence ministry (DM) “for strengthening military cooperation,” diplomas and valuable gifts.

The head of the exercise, major-general Ruslan Abdulkhajiev and chief of staff of land forces of Mongolia brigadier general L. Onzogoybayar thanked the troops for their high skills and professionalism displayed during performance of the task.

Colonel Ivan Taraev, head of the department of international military cooperation of the EMD, noted the high dynamics of interaction between the armed forces of Russia and Mongolia in the military and military-technical spheres aimed at strengthening the defence capability and national security of the two states.

It is also worth adding that the solemn events dedicated to the closing of the annual joint exercise Selenga with the participation of units of the armed forces of Mongolia were also held at the Doityn Am training ground (Mongolia), where the Mongolian side played practical actions.

About 650 military personnel and more than 100 pieces of equipment were involved from the Russian armed forces. The Mongolian armed forces involved about 450 people and over 100 pieces of equipment.


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