Russia’s large-scale military drills Vostok-2014 (Source ITAR TASS) Large-scale military drills Vostok-2014 are coming to an end in Russia. Over 100,000 servicemen, thousands of tanks and aircraft, dozens of ships participated in the drills. The exercises are to continue until September 25. The drills are the final stage of a series of command and staff, and special exercises, drills, and surprise inspections in 2014. This is not the first large-scale checkup of the operational readiness of the country’s Armed Forces. Since the beginning of the year, Western, Central, and Eastern Military Districts underwent inspections, including those through the holding of large-scale exercises, the involvement of the newest quantity-produced hardware that is provided for the forward striking groups. Reservist mobilization arrangements are drilled; operational-readiness units of the aerospace forces, special-purpose forces, and army groups of all branches of service, the Air Force and fleets of surface ships and submarines are being inspected. The holding of exercises has particularly intensified in autumn. Over the past ten days alone, Northern Fleet exercises took place in Barents Sea with the participation of tens of surface ships and submarines, shore-based troops and maritime aviation, and with the holding of an active firing of cruise missiles of all types of basing. Earlier this month, actions were drilled in the east by a 100,000-strong group of combined-arms Air Force and Air Defence large units, the Pacific Fleet, Long-Range and Military Transportation Aviation. In the Urals and and in Siberia, large-scale firing practice was held at the military ranges of Orenburg, Chelyabinsk, and Novosibirsk Regions. In the Far East, the striking forces of the Pacific Fleet were deployed in Primorsky and Kamchatka sectors. Fleet exercises were held in the Sea of Okhotsk. Active exercises of the Air and Space Defence Forces were also held this month to drill actions in conditions of a simulated nuclear strike. Units of the Main Center for Warning About a Missile attack, the Center for the Monitoring of Space Situation, and the Main Testing Center named after Titov were also placed on an alert footing.