LONDON (Reuters) -Russia plans to hold strategic military exercises in the east of the country starting next month, the defence ministry said, thousands of miles from the war it is waging in Ukraine.
The “Vostok” (East) exercises will take place from Aug. 30 to Sept. 5 and will include military contingents from other countries, the ministry said, without naming them.
The drills will send a message that Russia, despite the costly five-month war in Ukraine, remains focused on the defence of its entire territory and capable in military terms of sustaining “business as usual”.
As if to underline that point, the ministry said in a statement: “We draw your attention to the fact that only a part of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is involved in the special military operation (in Ukraine), the number of which is quite sufficient to fulfil all the tasks set by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.”
It added that Russia had not cancelled any training activities or international cooperation, and the exercises would be supplied with all necessary personnel, weapons and equipment.
(Reporting by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Nick Macfie)
