Every six months the Kremlin hits the world "with something military" (because it can not affect anything else). In March, the president told about unprecedented nuclear missiles that will provide containment for decades ahead, that is, at present they provide military superiority over the United States. Now came the turn of the general forces. The head of the military department, Sergei Shoigu, recently reported that in the beginning of maneuvers "East-2018" will involve about 300 thousand troops.

"Teaching in something repeats" West-81 ", but in something, perhaps, even larger. More than 1,000 aircraft, almost 300,000 troops on almost all ranges of the Central and Eastern military districts, of course, the Pacific and Northern Fleet, the Airborne Forces are fully engaged ... Imagine that simultaneously in motion, in operation there are 36 thousand. units of military equipment are tanks, armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, and all this, of course, is checked in conditions as close as possible to combat, "said the head of the military department. The active phase of maneuvers, in which Chinese and Mongolian troops will participate, will be held on September 11-15.

Now the territory of the Asian part of Russia is covered by a so-called sudden check, regularly announced by the Supreme Commander in advance of the annual strategic maneuvers that are held in turn in each of the four military districts. These sudden checks allow you to concentrate troops on the eve of the maneuvers. And if the "West-2017" exercise that took place last year with the sudden check that followed it caused considerable unrest among Russian neighbors - well, God forbid the Kremlin in its style will start another adventure, for example, it occupies Belarus, but now no one needs to worry. Due to geography, any large-scale military exercises in the east of the country suggest rehearsal of the war with China. However, now the military from the Middle Kingdom in the same ranks with the Russians will work out combat missions. Of all the possible scenarios, it remains to work out actions in the event of a full-scale military conflict on the Korean peninsula or the reflection of the American-Japanese landing in the Far East and Primorye. We can assume that the "East-2018", like the "East-2014", will not have a single scenario, and the troops will work out unrelated episodes. This is confirmed by reports that the maneuvers will consist of 16 separate exercises.

And the greatest mystery of maneuvers is why to conduct such large-scale maneuvers in the east of the country? After all, according to Shoigu, one third of all military personnel of the country will take part in the exercises, which is more than the entire number of land forces. It can be assumed that this is the aggregate number of the Eastern and Central Military Districts, the Airborne Forces and the Northern Fleet. The figure of 36 thousand units of military equipment shocks its absurdity. In the Eastern Military District there is one tank division and 10 mechanized brigades (it is no more than 2-3 thousand tanks, armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles). In the Central - and even less, one tank division and seven brigades (about 2000 units of equipment). Let's assume that all cars went into credit - at the most, in the best case, thousands of 8-10. Where did the unthinkable 36 thousand? An attempt to transfer such a quantity of military equipment from the European part of Russia (I doubt that the Ministry of Defense in general has such a number of serviceable weapons) would block all transport communications linking the center of the country to its east for many weeks.

Secrets of the exercise "East-2018" open very simply. It is in this case that the military department can boast unrestrainedly and just as uncontrollably lie. The scale of military exercises in Europe is limited by the provisions of the Vienna Document (no more than 9,000 military personnel in pre-announced exercises). In addition, foreign observers should be invited. In the east, the domestic munhhausen in the lampshades have a place to turn around. You can specify any, the most unthinkable figures, which must demonstrate the domestic military power - no one will seize the hand. But, if the giant figure of the participants of the maneuvers is named, then an adequate amount of military equipment. One lie pulls the other ...

In fact, most likely, really participate in the maneuvers will be 30-40 thousand troops (and that's a lot). The rest will receive an order to advance to their own training grounds and conduct final firing. It would seem that with the fact that the Minister of Defense informs the chief chief of the country of the blown numbers - let him be amused. However, there is a danger that Putin will seriously believe that, if necessary, the 300,000-strong army can move to the east ....

Alexander Golts, Russian journalist, military expert Source: Daily Journal.