By Lyu Desheng and Zhang Xiaoyu
YINCHUAN, Aug. 13 –The first-phase joint planning drill of the exercise ZAPAD/INTERACTION-2021 has been successfully wrapped up. Lieutenant-General Mikhail Nosulev, the deputy commander of Russia's Eastern Military District and deputy commander of the exercise’s joint command, said that the Chinese and Russian armed forces have reached a new height in coordinated operations through the exercise, and demonstrated their military professionalism and strong determination in combating international terrorism.
During this exercise, the Russian troops used Chinese main battle equipment for the first time on a large scale. Lt. Gen. Nosulev also personally tried out the Chinese equipment. "In the future joint operations, we must not only be familiar with the enemy's combat capabilities, but we must also understand the combat capabilities of our comrades-in-arms, especially the Chinese armed forces. I have personally experienced China's heavy equipment. The realistic-combat training has proved that the weapons and equipment of the Chinese troops are very reliable," he said.
Chinese soldiers’ capability and quality also left a deep impression on Lt. Gen. Nosulev in close contacts. He said that the two sides can find a common language, organize coordination and cooperation with each other, and constantly adjust and optimize the process of commanding troops. He praised that the Chinese soldiers have a high level of combat training and are capable of responding to various threats, including international terrorism.
In his eyes, the biggest highlight of this exercise is that the Chinese and Russian militaries managed to jointly plan, prepare and command troops. The two sides made full use of the video conference system and joint command information system to organize coordination and cooperation, and optimize the process.
"This year marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation between China and Russia. On this occasion, the Russian military's participation in such a large-scale drill in China is of special significance," said Nosulev, adding that the China-Russia bilateral relations have set an example of positivity, unity, mutual help and mutual assistance for building a community with a shared future for mankind, and this exercise has strongly proved this point.
