RUSSIAN TROOPS GO ON COMBAT READINESS IN SURPRISE DRILLS

Sub for more: | TASS reports surprise combat readiness checks have started involving the forces of Russia’s southern military district and certain units of the Airborne Troops and military-transport aviation, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Monday. The checks, which began at a.m. on Monday (0200GMT) upon the decision of the commander-in-chief, will assess the readiness of the southern military district to respond to different crisis situations, Shoigu said.