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Military drills

Russian, Chinese militaries put their power on display in dramatic drills

The main stage of the Vostok-2018 strategic drills was held at the Tsugol firing range

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The main stage of the Vostok-2018 strategic drills was held at the Tsugol firing range in the Trans-Baikal Region

© Vadim Savitsky/Russian Defence Ministry Press Office/TASS

Russian T-72B tanks taking part in the main stage of the Vostok 2018 military exercise

© Vadim Savitsky/Russian Defence Ministry Press Office/TASS

Vostok-2018 maneuvers are the heaviest in the history of the Russian army

© Vadim Savitsky/Russian Defence Ministry Press Office/TASS

A total of about 300,000 servicemen are taking part in the drills

© Vadim Savitsky/Russian Defence Ministry Press Office/TASS

Chinese Type 96 (ZTZ-96) tanks

© Vadim Savitsky/Russian Defence Ministry Press Office/TASS

A parade of army hardware and aviation involved in the main stage of the Vostok 2018 military exercises

© Vyacheslav Prokofyev/TASS

Chinese PLZ-07 self-propelled gun systems

© Alexei Nikolsky/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

Russian A-1 quadricycle

© Vadim Savitsky/Russian Defence Ministry Press Office/TASS

Russian Rys special purpose vehicles

© Vadim Savitsky/Russian Defence Ministry Press Office/TASS

Mi-8AMTSH helicopters

© Vadim Savitsky/Russian Defence Ministry Press Office/TASS

Russian serviceman with Rex-1 anti-drone rifle system

© Vadim Savitsky/Russian Defence Ministry Press Office/TASS

Orlan-10 unmanned aerial vehicles

© Vadim Savitsky/Russian Defence Ministry Press Office/TASS

Chinese servicemen and military hardware seen during a parade of military hardware and aviation

© Vadim Savitsky/Russian Defence Ministry Press Office/TASS

Aircraft seen during the main stage of the Vostok 2018 military exercise

© Alexei Nikolsky/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

More than 1,000 planes, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles are involved in the exercise

© Alexei Nikolsky/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

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Putin awards Russian, Chinese and Mongolian servicemen at Vostok-2018 drills

The main stage of the Vostok-2018 strategic drills was held at the Tsugol firing range in the Trans-Baikal Region. The Vostok-2018 maneuvers are the biggest in the history of the Russian army, unparalleled since 1981, when the Soviet Union held drills involving about 100,000 people.

The massive Vostok-2018 exercise is running from September 11 to 17 under the command of Russian Defense Minister Army General Sergei Shoigu on the soil and in the waters of Russia’s Far East and in the neighboring waters of the Pacific Ocean. A total of about 300,000 servicemen are participating in them, as well as more than 1,000 planes, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles, along with as many as 36,000 tanks, armored fighting vehicles and other cars, and up to 80 ships and support vessels.

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Military drills

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