The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun
Russia begins large-scale military drills in Far East
Russian forces on Thursday began the large-scale Vostok 2022 military exercises in Russia’s Far East and other locations. The military exercises lasted until Sept. 7, and 13 other countries including China and India will take part.
The exercises are the first large-scale drills of the Russian military since its invasion of Ukraine.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, about 50,000 troops joined Vostok, which means East in Russian. Russia apparently intends to dispel concerns over shortages of manpower and equipment amid its invasion of Ukraine and strengthen opposition to the West and Japan.
The Russian military conducts large-scale military exercises in autumn every year with the country’s military districts taking turns to host them, and it is the first time since 2018 that the exercises have been held in the Eastern Military District, which holds jurisdiction over the Far East and other regions.
This year’s exercises are joined by the largest-ever number of foreign countries, totaling 13 nations including observers. The participating countries include India, which also values its relationship with Japan and the United States, and Nicaragua, a Central American country governed by a left -wing government at odds with the United States.
Amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin seems to be trying to emphasize that it
is not militarily isolated and to check growing U.S. military activity in the Asia-Pacific region.
However, the number of troops taking part in the military exercises comes to only about one-sixth of the gure for the previous Far East military exercises four years ago.
The Global Times, a tabloid published by China’s Communist Party, reported, “is is the rst time the PLA [People’s Liberation Army] has sent three of its forces to participate in a single Russian drill.” But Beijing cut the number of participating Chinese troops for Vostok 2022 to about 2,000 from about 3,200 in the previous exercises.
According to an announcement by the Russian Defense Ministry, multiple ghter jets practiced interception drills in the Khabarovsk and other regions ursday. From now until the end of the exercises, more than 50 vessels including those of the Russian Navy’s Paci c Fleet were to practice drills in the Sea of Japan and the Okhotsk Sea, such as ring exercises against air and sea targets and exercises for detecting submarines.
IN NORTHERN TERRITORIES
Russia has conducted military exercises aimed at preventing “enemy” forces landing on the islands of Kunashiri and Etorofu in the northern territories, the Russian defense ministry said Saturday.
The ministry said drones, electronic warfare technology and other equipment were employed to prepare for potential raids, among other scenarios in the northern territories — four islands claimed by Japan as an
integral part of the country, but which have been occupied by Russia since World War II.
IN SAKHALIN
USPENOVSKY TRAINING GROUND, Russia — e Russian military has unveiled to media including e Yomiuri Shimbun its ongoing strategic military exercises in the nation’s Far East.
On the island of Sakhalin, north of Hokkaido, Russia showed o a drill Sunday to repel an enemy landing as part of its Vostok 2022 exercises.
Deafening sounds as a succession of surface-to-air missiles were launched rang out at the Uspenovsky training ground, about 20 kilometers from the coastline of Sakhalin facing the Soya Strait.
In the drill to repel the landing of airborne enemy troops, the Russian Army deployed more than 90 weapons, including T-80 battle tanks and Uragan multiple launch rocket systems, both of which were used in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a “special military operation.” More than 600 personnel from the Russian Army’s tank brigade stationed on Sakhalin were among those who participated in the exercise.
The exercise was also designed to simulate a land battle a er the enemy’s landing, with tanks and self-propelled artillery attacking targets up to 10 kilometers away for about 45 minutes. Waves of artillery shells shook the windows of the command post, and the vast hilly exercise area was enveloped in smoke and the sound of explosions.
A sniper spoke to reporters a er the exercise, claiming that it was impossible for any airborne troops to set foot on Sakhalin, as the military would repel any attack.
JAPAN, U.S. CONDEMN
WASHINGTON — Japan and the United States have condemned Russia’s Vostok 2022 military exercises.
“The United States has concerns about any country exercising with Russia while Russia wages a unprovoked, brutal war against Ukraine,” U.S. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Aug. 30, referring to China and India.
Japan also strongly condemned the military exercises in the northern territories, saying that they were “unacceptable.” (Published in print on Sept. 3, 5, 6)