Russia plans to hold massive war games involving 300,000 personnel next month – its biggest military manoeuvres since a Cold War drill in 1981.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Vostok-2018 drills were justified given “aggressive and unfriendly” attitudes towards his country.
Units from China and Mongolia will also take part in the exercises at military ranges in central and eastern Russia.
The manoeuvres come at a time of rising tension between Nato and Russia.
What will take place in the drills?
Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said 36,000 tanks, armoured personnel carriers and armoured infantry vehicles would take part in Vostok-2018, from 11 to 15 September, along with more than 1,000 aircraft. Vostok is Russian for east.
All of Russia’s airborne units and two of its naval fleets will also take part in the drills across Siberia and the Russian Far East.
Mr Shoigu compared the Vostok-2018 exercises to Soviet manoeuvres in 1981, which involved a pretend attack on Nato. He said: “In some ways they will repeat aspects of Zapad-81, but in other ways the scale will be bigger.”
Mr Peskov said the involvement of Chinese units showed Russia and Beijing were co-operating in all areas.
