Vostok 2018
Vostok 2018 () was a large-scale Russian military exercise, held from 11 to 17 September 2018, throughout Siberia and the Russian Far East in the Eastern Military District. The exercise involved units from the Army, Air Force and Navy. China and Mongolia, which also participated, became the first countries outside of the former Soviet Union to join the Vostok exercises. History. In late August 2018, Russian Minister of Defence Sergey Shoygu said the exercise will be the largest to be held in Russia since Zapad-81 held by the Soviet Union in 1981. The Zapad exercises in 1981 involved  about 100,000 to 150,000 troops and were the largest Soviet military exercises ever held. Shoygu later reported that nearly 300,000 troops would be taking part in the drills along with 36,000 vehicles and 1,000 aircraft. 80 warships are also involved in the exercise. Vostok 2018 was double the size of the previous exercise in the region, Vostok 2014. Sergey Shoygu, Russian Minister of Defence, boasted about the drills saying, "Imagine 36,000 military vehicles moving at the same time: tanks, armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles – and all of this, of course, in conditions as close to a combat situation as  possible." Deputy Defence Minister Colonel General Alexander Fomin reported that 91 foreign observers from 57 countries would be attending the exercise. Vostok 2018 took place during a time of deteriorating relations between Russia and the West. China and Mongolia too participated in the military exercise. Around 3,500 troops from the People's Liberation Army had taken part. Before the exercise, Beijing reported that its troops would be participating at the Tsugol training range in the Trans-Baikal region. The Chinese involvement was intended to improve Sino-Russian military relations, as well as to prevent Chinese concern about military exercises near  their border. The joint exercise had also allowed Russia to demonstrate it was not militarily isolated. Again before the exercise, there are reports that there will be sharing of information between the Russian Armed Forces and the People's Liberation Army on combat lessons from the Syrian Civil War. President of Russia Vladimir Putin visited the drills after attending the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.