India has announced to withdraw from the multilateral Military Exercise Kavkaz 2020 to be held in Russia between September 15 and 27, 2020.
- India has said that in view of Pandemic and consequent difficulties in exercise, including arrangements of logistics, it decided not to send a contingent this year to Kavkaz-2020.
- However, it is being said that Chinese presence was an important factor for withdrawing from the event.
- The move comes in the backdrop of a border standoff with China in eastern Ladakh, which has been going on since the last three-and-half months.
- India had earlier planned to send around 150 Indian Army troops, 45 Indian Air Force personnel and a number of Navy officers to the multilateral military exercise.
- The exercise is to be held in the Astrakhan province of southern Russia between 15 and 27 September, and other participants include Pakistan, among other members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
