MOSCOW, August 12. /TASS/. A joint military exercise between Russia and Kyrgyzstan has begun at a Kyrgyz training center, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

"A joint tactical exercise with the participation of military contingents of the Armed Forces of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Russian Federation have begun at a training center in Kyrgyzstan. As part of the exercise, the military contingents will practice coordination, command and control of a combined unit, as well as the organization and conduct of joint combat operations to eliminate an illegal armed group in mountainous terrain," the ministry said in a statement.

The Russian military contingent consists of motorized infantry and reconnaissance units, crews of attack unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from the 201st Military Base of the Central Military District, as well as crews of Mi-8MTV helicopters from the joint Russian military base stationed in Kyrgyzstan.