(CNN)Russia kicked off what it says are its largest war games since the fall of the Soviet Union on Tuesday, as it hosted a bilateral meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in the far eastern city of Vladivostok.
Tuesday’s meeting between the two leaders comes amid continued US-led sanctions against Russia and an escalating US-China trade war.
At least 300,000 troops, 36,000 vehicles and 1,000 aircraft will take part in the Vostok 2018 exercises, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
