Russian Military to Move 30 T72B3M Tanks to its Base in Tajikistan Near Border with Afghanistan

The Russian military base in Tajikistan will receive 30 modern tanks by the end of 2021 against the background of the Taliban coming to power in Afghanistan.

They are reported to be T72B3M tanks, the latest modernized version of the legendary T72 and will replace older generation combat vehicles at the base, the press service of the Central Military District said, according to Interfax.

As part of the strengthening of the Russian military base in Tajikistan, the Central Military District equipped it with new weapons - modern sniper rifles, Verba portable anti-aircraft missile systems, AK-12 Kalashnikov assault rifles, flamethrowers and modern Kornet anti-tank missile systems – in August. A month earlier, Russia sent 17 modern BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles to the base.

The 201st military base stationed in Tajikistan is Russia's largest military facility outside its borders. It is located in two cities - Dushanbe and Bokhtar.

The Russian military has also conducted sniper training using new large-caliber ASVK-M "Kord-M" rifles in the Tajikistan base. "At the Lyaur mountain range (Tajikistan), the shooters prepared and masked positions, determined the data for firing with the help of reconnaissance devices and improved their skills in accurate shooting at a distance of 500-2,000 meters," the press service of the Central Military District said.

The report of the Central Military District notes that the ASVK-M rifle is designed to defeat lightly armored vehicles, various enemy technical means and manpower. A powerful cartridge of 12.7 mm caliber allows the sniper to hit targets at a distance of up to 2,000 meters, while he himself remains out of the reach of the aimed fire of conventional small arms.