MOSCOW, March 23. /TASS/. Units of the Ulyanovsk air assault formation of the Russian Airborne Forces have arrived at a range in the Orenburg region during a snap combat readiness check of the Airborne Forces conducted within the framework of the strategic command and staff exercise of the Russian Armed Forces which started on March 22, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday.

"On Tuesday, alerted units of the air assault brigade made a combined march covering a distance of over 650 km on their combat vehicles in convoys and by rail transport and arrived at the staging area", the ministry said.

Units of the airborne brigade conducted terrain reconnaissance, engineer reconnaissance, deployed command posts and started to fortify their positions.

On March 22, Russia began a strategic command and staff exercise to practise the chain of command of the Armed Forces. A snap combat readiness check of the Russian Airborne Forces is being held as part of the exercise, according to the supreme commander-in-chief’s decision. The surprise combat readiness inspection has engaged about 30,000 troops, over 3,800 pieces of combat hardware and over 100 aircraft.