MOSCOW, December 9. /TASS/. Russia intends to invite foreign military contingents to participate in the Vostok 2022 (East 2022) strategic command and staff exercise that will run next September, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov said on Thursday.

"Next year, the Vostok 2022 strategic command and staff exercise that will run in September will be a key combat training event. There are plans to invite the military contingents of foreign states to this exercise," Gerasimov said at a briefing for foreign military diplomats.

This year, the Zapad 2021 (West 2021) joint Russia-Belarus strategic exercise was a major event, "in the course of which the scenario of jointly repelling aggression against the Union State was practiced," he said.

"The results of the exercise demonstrated a high level of the preparedness of the headquarters and troops and their ability to successfully cope with the assigned tasks of ensuring both states’ military security," Russia’s military chief said.