Vostok 2022
{{Short description|Russian military exercise}}
Vostok 2022 ({{langx|ru|Восток 2022|lit=East 2022}}) was a large-scale Russian military exercise held in the Russian Eastern Military District (encompassing Siberia and the country's Far East, including the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk) from September 1 to September 7, 2022.{{Cite web |last=Kasonta |first=Adriel |date=2022-09-22 |title=Vostok 2022: the military convergence of Eurasia |url=http://asiatimes.com/2022/09/vostok-2022-the-military-convergence-of-eurasia/ |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=Asia Times |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Russia to Hold Sweeping Joint War Games With China, India, Others |url=https://thediplomat.com/2022/08/russia-to-hold-sweeping-joint-war-games-with-china-india-others/ |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=thediplomat.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Vostok 2022: Has Russia Learned From Setbacks in Ukraine? |url=https://jamestown.org/program/vostok-2022-has-russia-learned-from-setbacks-in-ukraine/ |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=Jamestown |language=en-US}}
It was supervised by the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation general Valery Gerasimov. A total of 13 countries took part in the exercise, which, in addition to Russia, included China, India, Belarus, Armenia, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Syria, Nicaragua, Laos, Mongolia and Tajikistan. The Chinese contingent was the second largest after the Russian one, and the most comprehensive contingent China ever sent to Russian exercises (it was the first time all three branches of Chinese military - the infantry, navy and air force -participated in a training activity in Russia).{{Cite web |title=China and India among countries taking part in Russia's Vostok-2022 |url=https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/china-and-india-vostok-09012022070355.html |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=Radio Free Asia |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2022-09-10 |title=Signs of China-Russia military trust in Vostok 2022 war games: observers |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3192074/signs-china-russia-military-trust-vostok-2022-war-games |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en}} It was composed of approximately 2,000 soldiers, 300 vehicles, 21 planes and 3 ships from the Northern Theater Command.{{Cite web |title=China sends over 2,000 troops to Vostok-2022 exercises - China Military |url=http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/ARMEDFORCES/NorthernTheaterCommand/News_209129/16011678.html |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=eng.chinamil.com.cn}} The Indian contingent was made up of elements of 7th and 8th Gorkha Rifles, estimated to be about 75 soldiers strong.{{Cite news |last=Haidar |first=Dinakar Peri & Suhasini |date=2022-09-01 |title=Vostok-2022 commences in Russia with India, China participating |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/vostok-2022-commences-in-russia-with-india-china-participating/article65836530.ece |access-date=2024-03-28 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}{{Cite web |title=India Sending Troops to Russian Vostok 2022 Exercise |url=https://thediplomat.com/2022/08/india-sending-troops-to-russian-vostok-2022-exercise/ |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=thediplomat.com |language=en-US}}
The Russian minister of defence Sergei Shoigu claimed that the exercise would involve over 300,000 soldiers which would make it Russia's biggest military exercise to date, but that estimate was said to be inflated.{{Cite news |title=Russia's army is in a woeful state |url=https://www.economist.com/briefing/how-deep-does-the-rot-in-the-russian-army-go/21808989 |access-date=2024-03-28 |newspaper=The Economist |issn=0013-0613}} According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, over 50,000 military personnel, more than 5,000 units of weapons and military equipment, including 140 aircraft, 60 warships, boats and support vessels were supposed to participate in the exercise.{{Cite web |title=Стратегическое командно-штабное учение «Восток-2022» |url=https://structure.mil.ru/mission/practice/all/vostok2022.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220829211745/https://structure.mil.ru/mission/practice/all/vostok2022.htm |archive-date=2022-08-29}} The exercise was smaller than the previous Vostok 2018.{{Cite web |last=Banerjee |first=Rishma |date=2022-10-19 |title=The Vostok Military Exercises 2022: Three Takeaways |url=https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2022/10/19/the-vostok-military-exercises-2022-three-takeaways/ |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=Modern Diplomacy |language=en-US}}
Russian President Vladimir Putin observed the exercise.{{Cite web |title=Putin attends Vostok-2022 military drill in Russia's Far East |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/putin-attends-vostok-2022-military-drill-in-russias-far-east/2678205 |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=www.aa.com.tr}}
Chinese participation in the drills have been said to reflect improved China–Russia relations, and a message to the West that Russia still has international military allies, despite its recent invasion of Ukraine.{{Cite web |date=29 Aug 2022 |title=Russia to launch major military drills with China and others |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/29/russia-to-launch-military-drills-with-china |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}} On the other hand, the drills have been said to worsen Japan-Russia relations as they included a naval exercise near the disputed islands of South Kuril, claimed by both Russia and Japan.{{Cite web |title=NPT Conference Collapse, Military Drills Further Strain Japan-Russia Relations |url=https://thediplomat.com/2022/09/npt-conference-collapse-military-drills-further-strain-japan-russia-relations/ |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=thediplomat.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=Haidar |first=Suhasini |date=2022-09-03 |title=Explained {{!}} At Vostok-22, why is India not joining naval drill? |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/explained-at-vostok-22-why-is-india-not-joining-naval-drill/article65844760.ece |access-date=2024-03-28 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}{{Cite web |last=Dangwal |first=Ashish |date=2022-08-29 |title=Russia, China Multilateral Vostok-2022 Drills Alarms Japan; Will Develop 1000 Long-Range Missiles To Take On Adversaries |url=https://www.eurasiantimes.com/japan-concerned-by-russia-china-multilateral-vostok-2022-drills/ |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=Latest Asian, Middle-East, EurAsian, Indian News |language=en-US}} India chose not to send its maritime units to the Vostok-2022 as it did not wish to jeopardize its relation with Japan.{{Cite web |date=2022-09-01 |title=Exercise Vostok – 2022: India stays away from maritime component. Sends army troops |url=https://www.financialexpress.com/business/defence-exercise-vostok-2022-india-stays-away-from-maritime-component-sends-army-troops-2652011/ |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=Financialexpress |language=en}}
Russian tactics displayed in the exercise have been criticized as obsolete.