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| Russia Holds Largest Multinational Military Exercise Joined By China and India Themed Vostok 2022 |
International Military - Russia launched a multinational military exercise in the country's far east which a number of countries, including China and India, participated in. The United States has voiced concern over Moscow's ability to get other countries to participate in the exercise.
The Russian Ministry of Defense on Wednesday (31/8/2022) reported that the opening ceremony of the Vostok 2020 strategic exercise took place at a military training ground in Russia's Primorsky Region on Wednesday.
Russia holds exercises of this type every year, with military districts in the country designated as hosts on a rotating basis. This year, the Eastern Military District welcomed 13 foreign countries that accepted Russia's invitation to send troops or military observers.
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, who represented the host country at the ceremony, said the wide participation and scale of the exercise made it extraordinary. "Shows the increasing role and importance of joint training with our armed forces," he said as quoted by Russia Today, Thursday (1/9/2022).
Meanwhile, other delegation leaders emphasized in their speeches that the event was very defensive. Footage from the scene shows soldiers from participating countries lining up as military bands play.
The list of participating countries besides China and India includes Azerbaijan, Algeria, Armenia, Belarus, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Syria and Tajikistan. Nine of them sent troops to participate in the maneuver part of the exercise.
Vostok 2022 includes war games for staff officers and field exercises for troops, as well as naval and air training. According to Russia's Defense Ministry, more than 50,000 soldiers and officers as well as more than 5,000 heavy military equipment, including about 140 aircraft and 60 naval vessels, will take part in the week-long drill, which starts on Thursday local time.
The US has expressed concern over the events. During a daily briefing on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Washington had doubts about any country training with Russia while Russia was waging a brutal, unwarranted war against Ukraine. When pressed whether the US would sanction participating countries, particularly India, for sending troops to Russia he declined to say.