Vostok-2022 Drills Not Directed Against Specific States, Blocs, Russian Defense Ministry Says

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Vostok-2022 military exercises are defensive in nature and are not directed against specific states and military alliances, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said during a briefing for foreign military attaches.

"The priority direction in developing the concept of the exercise was the phased study of options for the actions of troops (forces) in the interests of ensuring the military security of the Russian Federation and its allies in the zone of responsibility of the Eastern Military District. The exercise is not directed against any specific states or military alliances and is purely defensive in nature," Fomin said.

The Vostok exercises will be held from September 1 to 7 under the leadership of the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces in the Eastern Military District and will be the final stage in the training of the Russian Armed Forces this year.

As part of coalition groupings of troops, joint actions within the framework of strategic exercises will be worked out by operational groups of command and control bodies, military contingents and observers from the CSTO, SCO and other partner states, including Azerbaijan, Algeria, Armenia, Belarus, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Laos, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Syria, Tajikistan.

In total, over 50,000 military personnel, more than 5,000 pieces of weapons and military equipment, including 140 aircraft, 60 warships, boats and support vessels, will be involved in the exercises.