Moscow shows to foreign media military exercises in Russian Far East

By Yu Tamura / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

14:41 JST, September 5, 2022

USPENOVSKY TRAINING GROUND, Russia — The Russian military has unveiled to media including The Yomiuri Shimbun its ongoing strategic military exercises in the nation’s Far East.

On the island of Sakhalin, north of Hokkaido, Russia showed off a drill to repel an enemy landing Sunday as part of its Vostok 2022 exercises that started Thursday and run through Wednesday.

Deafening sounds as a succession of surface-to-air missiles were launched rung out at the Uspenovsky training ground, about 20 kilometers from the coastline of Sakhalin facing the Soya Strait.

In the drill to repel the landing of airborne enemy troops, the Russian Army deployed more than 90 weapons, including T-80 battle tanks and Uragan multiple launch rocket systems, both of which were used in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, what Moscow calls a “special military operation.” More than 600 personnel from the Russian Army’s tank brigade stationed on Sakhalin were among those that participated in the exercise.

The exercise was also designed to simulate a land battle after the enemy’s landing, with tanks and self-propelled artillery attacking targets up to 10 kilometers away for about 45 minutes. Waves of artillery shells shook the windows of the command post, and the vast hilly exercise area was enveloped in smoke and the sound of explosions.

A sniper spoke to reporters after the exercise claiming that it was impossible for any airborne troops to set foot on Sakhalin as the military would repel any attack.

Japan, U.S. condemn drills

By Kazuhiko Makita / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

WASHINGTON — Japan and the United States have condemned Russia’s Vostok 2022 military exercises.

“The United States has concerns about any country exercising with Russia while Russia wages a unprovoked, brutal war against Ukraine,” U.S. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Aug. 30, referring to China and India.

Japan also strongly condemned the military exercises in the northern territories, saying that it is “unacceptable.”