Shoigu: Russia to hold biggest military drills since 1981

About 300,000 troops and more than 1,000 aircraft are set to take part in the Vostok-2018 (East-2018) international strategic drills in Russia in September, Russian Defense Minister Army General Sergei Shoigu said.

According to him, Russia has not held maneuvers comparable by their scope with the upcoming military drills since 1981.

"In some ways, they resemble the Zapad-81 drills but in other ways they are, perhaps, even larger. Over 1,000 aircraft, almost 300,000 servicemen at almost all the training ranges of the Central and Eastern Military Districts and, naturally, the Pacific and Northern Fleets and the Airborne Force will be fully employed," Shoigu said.

The maneuvers traditionally begin with a large series of preparatory measures: about 15 special drills for troops’ logistic support. "And, as a rule, this is coupled with a snap check announced by the Russian president, the supreme commander-in-chief, which has actually become good practice in our life and work," TASS cited the Russian defense minister as saying.

The Vostok-2018 drills will be held on September 11-15 and will be the largest event of the troops’ combat training. The maneuvers have an international status and will involve troops of Russia’s Eastern and Central Military Districts, the forces of the Northern Fleet, all units and formations of the Airborne Force, long-range and military transport aircraft, and also units of China and Mongolia at one of the drills’ stages.