Su-27 aircraft

Tashkent (UzDaily.com) -- Russian Air Force Commander Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin is upbeat about the results of a command-post exercise involving air defense forces on duty, held on Thursday.

"The drill involved air defense forces from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Armenia did not participate due to poor weather. However, it will do the exercise on Friday, which is the reserve day. Belarus only provided its surface- to-air missile systems, also due to poor weather," Zelin told the press on Thursday.

The forces involved practiced operations to prevent or cut short flights of aircraft, which were hijacked by terrorists, which deviated from declared routes and which were flying in the direction of vital state facilities.