Russia stages 'biggest war games since the Soviet era'

Codenamed Vostok-2014, the exercises were heralded by NTV channel as 'the biggest since Soviet times'.

'About 100,000 servicemen, up to 1,500 tanks, 120 aircraft, 5,000 pieces of weaponry, military and special hardware, and 70 ships will take part,' said a Russian defence ministry spokesman. 

Starting on Friday 19 September, they will continue until Thursday 25 September.

Air support provided by Eastern Military District aviation includes Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 bombers, Il-78 airborne tankers, Su-24 front-line bombers, Su-25 ground-attack aircraft, MiG-31 and Su-27 fighters and also the latest multi-role Su-34, Su-30SM and Su-35S aircraft.

The exercises came five days after Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered snap combat readiness checks in eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East. In these,  Pacific Fleet warships simulated being 'a potential enemy'. 

Some forces were moved 5,000 kilometres to take part in the latest war games. The manoeuvres were underway on the island of Sakhalin, the Kamchatka Peninsula, Chukotka, and the southern part of the Primorsky Territory. 

Meanwhile, the Russian Defence Ministry's board discussed the issue of forming technical missile bases in every military district, said Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu. 'We are discussing a proposal to set up technical missile bases in each military district. Creation of additional autonomous storage and transport detachments will fully guarantee that combat formations being used in various operational directions and at a significant distance from each other are supplied with missiles,' he said.

The provision of missiles to combat formations operating under such conditions - in various directions and at a significant distance from each other - are a key test during the Vostok 2014 strategic exercise.

'We will test these approaches during the upcoming Vostok 2014 exercise and study the possibility of further development of the system of missile-technical support,' Shoigu said.