 |
| Russian Federation 'Caucasus 2016' Warfighting Exercise Commenced on 05SEP16 |
5 September 2016: We might as well consider this SITREP as a follow-on to Global SITREP C10-16: Ezekiel 38/39 Primary Invasion Routes.
Today the Russian Federation began its 'Caucasus 16' warfighting exercise. 'Caucasus 16, also known as "Kavkaz 2016," involves combat aircraft, naval combatant ships, armored units, infantry and airborne paratroopers operating in the entirety of the Southern Russia Military District (see image below), Crimea and the Black and Caspian Seas.
The Ukrainian government last month warned about this exercise in terms of it being a pretext for Russian military aggression against the Ukraine, possibly to create a land-bridge between Russia and Moldova and its separatist Trans-Dniester region through the province (oblast) Odessa, Ukraine just north of the Crimean Peninsula.
 |
| Southern Russia Military District (map: IISS Infographic) |
The above map can be accessed at the IISS Military Balance Blog. It dates to March 2014 but is extremely useful in concert with the premise of SITREP C10-16 linked above, which hold that the Ezekiel 38/39 invasion will originate from this same area. The below map is from the Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It shows the position of landlocked Moldova which is virtually trapped between western Ukraine and NATO ally Romania.
 |
| Ukraine and Moldova (map: Australian Government) |
