Russian and Chinese naval vessels are jointly conducting maritime patrols in the Pacific Ocean, including naval exercises designed to counter air strikes, as stated by Russia’s defense ministry on Friday (August 18).
The ministry issued a statement on the Telegram messaging app, affirming that “a detachment of ships from the Russian Navy and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy is presently operating in the East China Sea waters, covering over 6,400 nautical miles since the initiation of patrols.”
Russian state news agency TASS released a video showcasing nine substantial vessels navigating in a diamond formation, with crew members standing in salute on deck.
The defense ministry also revealed that the drills encompassed practicing “refueling at sea and cargo transfer on the move.” It emphasized that the joint fleet of ships had traversed more than 6,400 nautical miles since the commencement of the exercises.
The ministry’s statement elaborated that during this timeframe, sailors from both countries engaged in anti-submarine exercises, successfully repelled an air strike from a simulated adversary, carried out sea rescue training, and honed their abilities for helicopter takeoffs and landings on warship decks.
In recent times, the alliance between Russia and China has grown stronger, partly due to Russia’s strained relations with Western governments stemming from the conflict with Ukraine.
Earlier this week, a Chinese defense ministry spokesperson clarified that naval fleets were conducting maritime patrols in the western and northern Pacific Ocean regions. The spokesperson emphasized that these actions were not directed at any third party and were unrelated to the prevailing international and regional circumstances.
Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu’s recent visit to Russia, where he participated in the 11th Moscow Conference on International Security, saw calls for heightened military cooperation.
Moscow and Beijing have intensified their bilateral defense collaboration, notably performing a joint air patrol across the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea in July.
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