Russia and China begin enormous war games with 50,000 troops, 60 warships and 140 planes in message to the West

RUSSIA and China has launched enormous war games with 50,000 troops, 60 warships and 140 planes in a chilling message to the West.

Moscow said the drills will take place in Russia's Far East and in the Sea of Japan until September 7.

Russia's top military chief General Valery Gerasimov is overseeing the Vostok 2022 (East 2022) drills involving troops from several ex-Soviet nations as well as India, Laos, Mongolia, Nicaragua and Syria.

Moscow's Su-35s fighter jets have been recorded intercepting 20 moving air targets as part of the drills.

"In the course of carrying out tasks to repel an air attack of a mock enemy as part of the Vostok-2022 strategic command and staff exercise, the crews of the Su-35S fighters of the Eastern Military District intercepted over 20 air targets, the role of which was performed by Su-30SM aircraft," a report said.

It said pilots on Su-30SM fighter planes manoeuvred through the sky and shot down enemy planes, according to .

The daring move will see Russia and 's navies "practice joint action to protect sea communications, areas of marine economic activity and support for ground troops in littoral areas" in the Sea of Japan.

Beijing has already committed 2,000 troops and some 300 armoured vehicles, 21 fighter jets and three warships to the drills, according to Chinese media reports.

Beijing's mouthpiece the Global Times said the manoeuvres marked the first time the country has sent all three branches of its military to take part in drills with Russia, which it dubbed a "show of breadth and depth" of the two countries' military cooperation.

Its defence ministry said it wanted to "deepen pragmatic and friendly cooperation between the militaries of the participating countries" to "enhance the ability to jointly respond to various security threats".

The war games come as Moscow and Beijing boost defence ties after Mad Vlad invaded Ukraine on February 24 - a move China has refused to criticise and pundits see as a prelude to its own invasion of democratically-governed Taiwan.

But the drills could stretch Russia's military to breaking point as it struggles to recruit more troops for its unwinnable war in Ukraine.

Reports suggest Putin is recruiting lags from Russian jails to fight as his army suffers "incredibly high" fatalities & casualties on the frontline.

Russia is understood to have lost nearly a third of its army’s strength since , according to the UK’s Chief of the Defence Staff.

Alexander Gabuyev, an analyst who follows Russia-China relations, said Vlad wanted to divert attention from his flagging forces under attack in south and eastern Ukraine.

He said: "The Russian leadership demonstrates that everything goes according to plan and the country and its military have resources to conduct the maneuvers along with the special military operation."

Russia and China have made repeated chilling threats to blast the UK and US as tensions simmer over Ukraine and Taiwan.

Just last month, China extended its largest-ever exercises around Taiwan beyond the four days originally scheduled in retaliation over Nancy Pelosi's visit - including rehearsing sinking US submarines.