Joint military drills involving Russia, China, and several other countries are poised to begin on September 1, spanning Russia’s far east and the Sea of Japan. The AP reported new details of the planned exercises today, citing statements from Russia’s ministry of defense.
The exercises come as top Chinese and Russian officials have in recent months celebrated their newly minted “no limits” partnership. The announcement of this year’s drills, called Vostok, and the Chinese defense ministry’s statement that it would send troops to take part in it, attracted a significant level of attention given that context. In addition to China, Belarus, Syria, India, Nicaragua, and others are sending forces to participate in the drills.
The Russian defense ministry said the Russian and Chinese navies plan to “practice joint action to protect sea communications, areas of marine economic activity and support for ground troops in littoral areas,” according to the newswire service.
Recent Russian naval activity is already ruffling feathers in Tokyo, as Japanese officials have objected to the maritime portion of the drills since they will take place around the Kuril Islands, which are Russian-administered but also claimed by Japan.
Earlier this month, the Japanese defense ministry said 14 Russian naval ships entered the Sea of Japan from the Pacific Ocean, according to USNI news. Japanese maritime self-defense-force ships followed the Russian vessels.
While Japanese officials lodged a protest with Moscow about the plans to drill near the Kuril Islands, they were not able to dissuade them from moving forward with that aspect of the exercises.
Moscow’s envoy to Tokyo flatly rejected Japan’s complaints, according to TASS.
“We have every reason to be concerned about reinforcing the defense potential around the Kuril Islands, and on the Far East direction in general,” said Mikhail Galuzin, Russia’s ambassador to Japan late last month. “Accordingly, this is being done, including by holding such events as the ‘Vostok 2022’ strategic military exercise. Of course, the requests of the Japanese side, the demarche of the Japanese side was rejected as groundless and pointless.”
Although India is participating in the exercises, it will not be joining the naval portions due to the Japanese objections, the Deccan Herald reported. Both countries are part of the Quad partnership, a multilateral arrangement with security, diplomatic, and technological components.
Russia and China have both claimed that the latest iteration of the multinational exercises is not a response to recent international events, such as the heightened tensions surrounding Taiwan.
Over 50,000 troops, 140 aircraft, and 60 warships will play a role in Vostok 2022. Reuters, however, reported that these figures are a fraction of the scale at which the exercises took place in previous years, largely due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.