Russia has kicked off what it has called its largest ever military drills since the fall of the Soviet Union. <br /> Moscow's defense ministry says the week-long Vostok 2018 will involve at least 300,000 troops, 36,000 vehicles, a thousand aircraft and 80 ships.<br />They will be joined by thousands of troops from China and Mongolia.<br />President Vladimir Putin is slated to attend the exercises after hosting an economic forum in Vladivostok where his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, is a guest.<br />The drills come amid rising tensions between Russia and the west, as well as an escalating U.S.-China trade war.<br />NATO has condemned the exercises as a rehearsal for large-scale conflict. <br />
