MOSCOW: Indian and Russian forces on Tuesday launched anti-terrorist exercises in the western Russian region of Pskov, the first of their kind on Russian soil, officials said.

An Indian plane delivered 162 air force personnel to an airfield near the site, southeast of Russia’s second city Saint Petersburg, Interfax news agency reported citing a Russian army spokesman.

The exercises, the second Indian-Russian training operation following one held in India in 2005, will run from Tuesday until Sept 20, a spokesman for the Indian embassy in Moscow said.

The exercises come two days after the United States and three other nations departed Indian waters following a massive naval drill.

A former Cold War ally of Moscow, India remains a major customer for Russian weapons, but ties with the United States have warmed significantly in recent years.—AFP