Vladimir Putin has insisted Russia is a “peaceful nation” after inspecting war games in Siberia which have been billed as the biggest in the country’s history.
The week-long Vostok (East) 2018 manoeuvres span vast expanses of Siberia and the Far East, the Arctic and the Pacific Oceans.
They involve nearly 300,000 Russian troops along with 1,000 Russian aircraft and 36,000 tanks and other combat vehicles.
“Russia is a peaceful nation,” Mr Putin said. “We do not and cannot have any aggressive plans.”
More than 3,000 Chinese troops have joined the Russian military in the manoeuvres aimed to showcase burgeoning military ties between Moscow and Beijing amid their tensions with the US.
