S-300 and S-400 Russian air defense systems become operational at Vostok 2018 exercise.

Russian air defense troops equipped with S-300 and S-400 air defense missile systems and Pantsyr-S anti-aircraft rocket-gun systems became operational in new launch areas during the Vostok-2018 maneuvers, which started on Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

S-300 air defense system displayed at Army-2018 near Kubinka (Picture source: Army Recognition)

"After completing the service maintenance of the equipment, the combat units of the anti-aircraft and radio-technical troops entered into service in new launch areas," the defense ministry reported. "The alert forces of the aviation and anti-aircraft defenses are working out the interception of air targets that imitate cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and planes of the ‘enemy,’" the Defense Ministry specified.

The massive Vostok-2018 exercise is being carried out from September 11 to 17 under the command of Russian Defense Minister Army General Sergei Shoigu on the soil and in the waters of Russia’s Far East and in the neighboring waters of the Pacific Ocean. A total of about 300,000 servicemen are taking part in them, as well as more than 1,000 planes, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles, along with as many as 36,000 tanks, armored fighting vehicles and other cars, and up to 80 ships and support vessels.