China-Russia Vostok-22 military drills signal 'core security partnership': Top military analyst

A UK-based security analyst says Russia and China are using the Vostok-22 military drills to show the West that they have an "emerging security and military relationship that needs to be taken account of." Neil Melvin, Director International Security Studies at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), added that the the two countries appeared to have agreed to "disguise that imbalance" between them economically, with Russia "becoming weaker a result of the Ukraine war."

Melvin continued: "So actually coming out of the Ukraine war, I think we're going to see that Russia is much more of a junior partner to China. China is clearly going to be setting the agenda more and more. It may be actually demanding more of Russia."Russia last week launched weeklong war games in its Far East and the Sea of Japan involving forces from China and  other nations, in a show of growing defense cooperation between Moscow and Beijing, as they both face tensions with the United States.

The maneuvers are also intended to demonstrate that Moscow has sufficient military might for massive drills even as its troops are engaged in military action in Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry said that the Vostok 2022 (East 2022) exercise will be held until Sept. 7 at seven firing ranges in Russia's Far East and the Sea of Japan and involve more than 50,000 troops and over 5,000 weapons units, including 140 aircraft and 60 warships.

Russian General Staff chief, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, will personally oversee the drills involving troops from several ex-Soviet nations, China, India, Laos, Mongolia, Nicaragua and Syria. The Defense Ministry noted that as part of the maneuvers, the Russian and Chinese navies in the Sea of Japan will "practice joint action to protect sea communications, areas of marine economic activity and support for ground troops in littoral areas."