Russia began its largest war games since the end of the Cold War on Tuesday, drilling hundreds of thousands of troops alongside forces from China in a forthright signal of increasing co-operation between the two powers. With 300,000 soldiers, 36,000 vehicles, 1,000 aircraft and 80 ships, the Vostok exercises in eastern Russia will be even bigger than the Zapad training conducted by the Soviet Union in 1981, according to the country’s defense minister. The exercises will last five days and take place across nine training grounds, the Sea of Japan, and the Bering Strait. Preliminary exercises have involved launching dummy torpedoes at warships in the Sea of Okhotsk and shooting down cruise missiles and drones in Tajikistan.
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