India and China will send troops to Russia for war games.

Indian and Chinese troops are scheduled to participate in military exercises in Russia later this month, the first significant war games hosted by Russia since its February invasion of Ukraine.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, China’s Defense Ministry in Beijing announced the participation of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops in the exercises, adding that “India, Belarus, Tajikistan, Mongolia, and other countries will also participate.”

India has also indicated its intention to participate in the war games. The Indian Army did not answer questions about India’s participation on Wednesday.

The Russian Defense Ministry declared last month that the Vostok (East) 2022 exercises will take place from August 30 to September 5 in 13 training grounds in Russia’s Eastern Military District, with units of airborne troops and long-range bombers, and military cargo aircraft participating.

It is unclear whether Indian and Chinese troops will be present together or if they will participate in separate drills spread across the 13 different training grounds.

The exercises, according to the Chinese Defense Ministry, were “unrelated to the current international and regional situation” and aimed at “deepening pragmatic and friendly cooperation with militaries of participating countries, enhancing the level of strategic coordination of all participating parties, and enhancing the ability to deal with various security threats.”

Following the PLA’s transgressions in April 2020, Indian and Chinese troops have been locked in a two-year standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh. Disengagement has occurred in some areas along the LAC, but negotiations to restore the status quo in the remaining conflict zones of Hot Springs, Demchok, and Depsang have been slow.