Kremlin says Chelyabinsk region drills aim to repel external aggression
In short
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the purpose of Russian military exercises in the Chelyabinsk region was to repel aggression from outside, calling it ordinary international practice. In an interview with Vesti journalist Pavel Zarubin, he said “no one threatens anyone” and pointed to an international element of the manoeuvres within the CSTO framework. TASS and RIA Novosti also reported that Peskov described the purpose of the drills at the Chebarkulsky training ground, but published no further detail.
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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the design of the Russian military exercises near Chelyabinsk was the repelling of aggression from outside. “The design of these exercises is the repelling of aggression from outside, no one threatens anyone, ordinary international practice, Russia also follows it,” Peskov said in an interview with Pavel Zarubin, a journalist of the Vesti information service, according to Interfax. TASS and RIA Novosti likewise reported that Peskov named the purpose of the exercises at the Chebarkulsky training ground in the Chelyabinsk region. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Peskov said that “absolutely everyone engages in military construction”, Interfax reported. He also drew attention to the international element of the manoeuvres within the CSTO framework, according to the same outlet. [ 2 ]
The documents do not give the dates of the exercise, the number of troops or units taking part, or any specific event the drills are said to respond to. TASS and RIA Novosti were not readable beyond their headlines, so what further detail they carried is not known from the material available. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The exercise is being held on Russian territory and is officially framed by the Kremlin as a defensive, routine measure, with an allied element under the CSTO. Because the outlets give no dates, scale or participating units, the practical significance of the drills cannot be assessed from the available reporting.
Key facts
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the design of the Russian military exercises near Chelyabinsk was the repelling of aggression from outside. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Peskov said “no one threatens anyone” and described the drills as ordinary international practice that Russia also follows. [ 2 ]
- Peskov said that “absolutely everyone engages in military construction”. [ 2 ]
- Peskov drew attention to the international element of the manoeuvres within the CSTO framework. [ 2 ]
- The remarks were made in an interview with Pavel Zarubin, a journalist of the Vesti information service. [ 2 ]
- The exercises are taking place at the Chebarkulsky training ground in the Chelyabinsk region. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether the exercise itself is a CSTO exercise or only includes an allied element. Interfax says Peskov drew attention to an international element of the manoeuvres within the CSTO framework, but does not state that the whole exercise is a CSTO event.
- The dates, scale, number of troops and units involved in the exercise. None of the documents give these details.
- What TASS and RIA Novosti reported beyond their headlines, and whether they carried Peskov’s quotes. Only the headline or summary was available for these two outlets; their full text was not readable.
- What, if anything, the exercises are a response to. Peskov refers to repelling external aggression in general terms only; no specific threat or event is named in the documents.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- TASS reports that Peskov named the purpose of the military exercises at the Chebarkulsky training ground. [ 1 ]
- Interfax publishes Peskov’s remarks, including that the design of the exercises was the repelling of external aggression. [ 2 ]
- RIA Novosti reports that Peskov spoke about the design of the exercises in the Chelyabinsk region. [ 3 ]