Russia will hold wide-ranging military drills in the country’s east next month, the Defense Ministry said, thousands of miles from the war it is waging in Ukraine.
The ministry said that the Vostok 2022 (East 2022) exercise scheduled for Aug. 30-Sept. 5 would involve troops on maneuvers at 13 Eastern Military District firing ranges.
It added that units of Airborne troops, long-range bombers and military cargo planes would also be involved in the war games.
The ministry said troops from unspecified foreign countries would participate. Russian and Chinese troops took part in a series of joint military maneuvers last year, reflecting increasingly close military ties between Moscow and Beijing.
The ministry rejected allegations of mobilizing forces to beef up its forces in Ukraine, noting that “only part of the Russian military has been involved in the special military operation.”
Without disclosing details, the ministry said the number of troops operating in Ukraine is “quite sufficient for fulfilling the tasks” and emphasized that the military hasn’t canceled any of the planned drills.
Moscow hasn’t said how many of its million-soldier military are involved in action in Ukraine.
