President Vladimir Putin arrives in Chita on Wednesday

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Chita (Eastern Siberia) on Wednesday.

At the stairway of the plane Vladimir Putin was welcomed by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov and the President's Plenipotentiary in the Siberian Federal District Leonid Drachevsky.

As the regional administration reported, the Russian leader is expected to visit the Peschanka test ground of the 212th Guards District Training Centre where he will also see an exhibition of armoured and engineering vehicles and weapons the Siberian Military District is equipped with.

The President will talk to servicemen and attend range practice at the tank training ground and a training of a special task force.

Later on, Vladimir Putin will hold a conference with the Command of the Siberian Military District devoted to issues concerning the military reform. It is also planned that the President will have a working meeting in Chita with governor of the Chita region Ravil Geniatulin and administration head of the Aga Buryat Autonomous Area Bair Zhamsuyev.

The Peschanka district training centre was founded in 1987 on the basis of the 45th rifle division. Every six months about 3,500 junior specialists in 48 professions are trained in this centre.

At the test ground the President is expected to see training and control tank range practice, as well as the training of an anti-terrorist task force.

From the test ground Vladimir Putin, accompanied by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov and the President's Plenipotentiary in the Siberian Federal District Leonid Drachevsky, will go to the staff of the Siberian Military District to chair a conference with the district command.