The Vostok 2022 drills are launched with the participation of forces from China, India, Syria and several other countries.
Russia has launched week-long war games involving forces from China and other nations in a show of growing defense cooperation between Moscow and Beijing.
The Vostok 2022 (East 2022) drills that began Thursday came amid Russia’s all-out war in Ukraine that began on February 24 and as both Russia and China face tensions with the United States.
Here are some of the details of the exercise:
Where and when
The Vostok 22 drills are taking place from Thursday to September 7 at seven firing ranges in eastern Siberia, Russia’s Far East and the Sea of Japan, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
Who is involved?
The exercise includes more than 50,000 soldiers and 5,000 weapons units, including 140 aircraft and 60 warships.
Russia’s chief of staff, General Valery Gerasimov, will personally supervise the exercises in which troops from various former Soviet nations, China, India, Laos, Mongolia, Nicaragua and Syria will participate.
What is the OBJETIVE?
As part of the exercises, the Russian and Chinese navies in the Sea of Japan will practice “joint actions to protect maritime communications, areas of marine economic activity and support for ground troops in littoral areas,” according to the Defense Ministry. Russian.
The drills show the increase in defense ties between Moscow and Beijing, which have grown stronger since Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his troops to Ukraine on February 24.
China’s participation in the drills “aims to deepen pragmatic and friendly cooperation between the armed forces of participating countries, enhance the level of strategic cooperation among all participating parties, and enhance the ability to jointly respond to various security threats.” ”, said the colonel, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Defense. Tan Kefei said last week.
Previous Joint Exercises
The Vostok drills are the second joint military exercise by Chinese and Russian troops this year.
Bombers from the two countries conducted a 13-hour drill near Japan and South Korea in May, forcing those countries to dispatch fighter jets, while US President Joe Biden visited Tokyo.
Last year, Russia and China held joint military exercises in north-central China involving more than 10,000 soldiers.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu praised China’s Ningxia exercises and suggested that more could be developed.
