Launched on September 1, running through Wednesday, the maneuver brings together China, India, Syria and Belarus, as well as border countries in Russia’s Far East, such as Mongolia and Tajikistan. . Russia’s Eastern Military District is part of Siberia and is headquartered in Khabarovsk, near the Chinese border. More than 50,000 troops and more than 5,000 units of military equipment, including 140 planes and 60 ships, are said to be deployed, as Moscow has been waging a war on Ukraine since February. On Thursday, fighter plane flights, anti-aircraft unit movement and mine clearance were simulated in the Sea of ​​Japan, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

“Ability to respond to multiple security threats”

China’s participation in these joint exercises is “unrelated to the current international and regional situation”, China’s Defense Ministry said in mid-August. “The aim is to deepen practical and friendly cooperation with the armies of the participating countries, increase the level of strategic collaboration between the participating parties and strengthen the ability to respond to various security threats,” he added.

Under the leadership of Chinese Presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, Beijing and Moscow have moved closer, conducting joint military exercises every year. In October 2021, Russia and China held joint naval exercises in the Sea of ​​Japan. Days later, Russian and Chinese warships conducted their first joint patrol of the Western Pacific. In November, as part of “regular training”, according to Beijing, two Chinese warplanes and seven Russian aircraft flew together. They had breached South Korea’s air defense identification zone, prompting Seoul to launch its fighter jets.