More than 2,500 airborne troops and 200 pieces of hardware are kicking off a large-scale military drill in Central Russia. They will practice conducting rapid assaults and dropping armored vehicles from the sky.

A video from Russia’s Defense Ministry published on Tuesday shows large Il-76 cargo planes practicing landing, while combat vehicles are moving out to start tactical drills, involving the Ryazan Airborne Regiment and transport aviation.

The airborne troops are considered elite forces of the Russian Army. During the exercise, the command will practice mass airdrops of soldiers, vehicles, and equipment. The military also plans to conduct the most difficult type of airdrops – dropping armored vehicles with personnel inside.

Aside from the drops, the soldiers are expected to master traversing waterways, while the officers will exercise advanced methods of rapid troop mobility.

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