Russian military exercise to be largest in 40 years, Shoigu says

This year’s Vostok military exercise by the Russian
Armed Forces will be its largest in 40 years, Russian Defense Minister Sergei
Shoigu was quoted as saying on Aug. 28 by Russian news agencies. The annual
training takes place in September in Russia’s central and eastern military
districts along its western border. Vostok 2018 will involve almost 300,000
troops, more than 1,000 military aircraft, two of Russia’s naval fleets and all
its airborne units, Shoigu said. NATO is considering an invitation extended by
the Russian government in May to monitor Vostok-2018, NATO Press Secretary
Dylan White told the Reuters news agency on Aug. 28. 

Zenon Zawada: With its
dramatic announcement, Russia is engaged in its latest round of saber-rattling
in order to intimidate the West. It’s also bolstering its negotiating position
in the coming weeks, particularly with the possibility of a peacekeeping
mission in Ukraine. The invitation for NATO attaches to observe serves this
agenda of projecting a powerful image, particularly in the media.

At the same time, Russian Armed Forces have been
positioned for a continental war for a few years now and the threat is
legitimate, though it remains a last resort (hopefully) among Putin’s options
in dealing with his current conflict with the West.