Russia is set to hold its biggest war games since the Cold War.<br />The military exercise is scheduled for next month and will also involve the Chinese and Mongolian armies.<br />Ro Aram reports.<br /> <br /> The war games are being called Vostok-2018, which translates to East-2018 and will be held in central and eastern Russia.<br />Moscow's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu says it will involve almost 300,000 troops, tens of thousands of tanks and armored vehicles, more than a thousand military aircraft and two of Russia's naval fleets.<br />The five-day exercise, starting September 11th, will be Moscow's biggest military maneuver since a Cold War drill in 1981.<br />It comes at a time of heightened tensions between Russia and the West.<br /> Moscow is concerned about what it says is an unjustified build-up of the NATO military alliance on its western flank.<br />NATO says it has strengthened its forces in Eastern Europe to fend off potential Russian military action after Moscow's annexation of Crimea four years ago.<br />NATO said it would monitor the upcoming military exercise. <br /> In regards to the participation of Chinese forces, a Kremlin spokesperson said it showed Beijing and Moscow were cooperating in all areas.<br />China's defense ministry said it was taking part to enhance military coordination with Russia, but said the drills would not target any third party.<br /> Vostok-2018 will serve as a show of Russia's military muscle at a time when President Vladimir Putin is making military modernization a top priority.<br />Ro Aram, Arirang News. <br />
