MOSCOW, Aug 29, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - Soldiers from several countries have arrived 
in eastern Russia for joint military drills that China will take part in, 
Russia's defence ministry said Monday, amid tensions between Moscow and 
Western capitals.

Servicemen from Kremlin-friendly countries including close ally Belarus, 
India, Mongolia and Syria will participate in the drills.

The exercises will take place between September 1 and 7, and will be spread 
across seven military training grounds in Russia's east as well as in the 
waters of the Sea of Okhotsk and Sea of Japan.

Similar drills were last held in 2018.

China's defence ministry confirmed earlier this month it would be taking part 
but did not say how many troops it is sending.

Beijing insisted its participation in the joint exercises was "unrelated to 
the current international and regional situation". 

Over 50,000 servicemen and 5,000 units of military equipment, including 140 
aircraft and 60 ships, will be involved in the military exercises called 
Vostok-2022, the defence ministry said in a statement. 

The participating soldiers arrived at the Sergeyevsky training ground in 
Russia's Far East and have "started preparing and receiving their equipment 
and weapons", it added. 

Moscow did not say how many soldiers will be arriving from each participating 
country.

Since Russia sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, Moscow has sought 
closer ties with countries in Africa, South America and Asia -- particularly 
China.

Moscow was in full solidarity with Beijing during the August visit of US 
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's to self-ruled, democratic Taiwan, which China 
considers its territory.

The US State Department, however, has said that while warming ties between 
China and Russia undermined global security, Washington didn't "read 
anything" into the drills.