MOSCOW, September 9. /TASS/. Russia and China have practiced joint operations by warships and aircraft during the Vostok-2022 strategic command and staff exercise, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin told a news briefing for foreign military attaches on Friday.

He stressed that "the joint use of aircraft and warships by Russia and China was the main feature of the exercise."

Fomin said that within the framework of the drills "massive fire strikes and defensive and offensive operations against overland forces and aircraft carrier-led strike groups of a mock enemy" were practiced.

In the central part of the Sea of Japan the exercise play involved the search for and defeat of enemy naval groups, as well as the search for and destruction of enemy submarines, measures to organize of all types of defense of a joint group of warships, the repulsion of enemy air attacks and the defeat of an amphibious landing force during a sea voyage.

Fomin also said that, in general, the use of a coalition group of troops was tested during the exercises.

"The exercise was conducted in two stages. First, the trainees clarified the decision to use troops in a strategic operation, set tasks and developed the operation’s plan and related documents. At the second stage, they practiced the command and control of troops in the course of repelling an aggression against Russia and using a coalition group for restoring the territorial integrity of the state," he said.