Moscow and Beijing conducted large-scale naval drills in the Sea of Japan this week, Russia’s Pacific Fleet announced in a statement to journalists on Sunday. The three-day exercise involved a wide range of activities, including joint firing drills, a simulated naval battle, and air defense training.
The ‘North/Cooperation-2023’ exercise was held over July 20-23, the fleet’s press service said. It involved two Russian anti-submarine war frigates and two Chinese destroyers, as well as a pair of both Russian corvettes and Chinese guard ships alongside a number of support vessels, the statement said.
A total of 30 aircraft from both nations also took part in the drills, the fleet said, adding that this included anti-submarine planes and helicopters, interceptors and other maritime aircraft, the fleet said. The two nations’ naval groups took part in some 20 combat exercises during the drills, it added.
The Russian Defense Ministry also published a short video of the drills showing Russian fighter jets and strategic Tu-95MS bombers taking part in the exercise, as well as Russian battleships engaged in firing practice.
The drills came ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to China in October. Chinese President Xi Jinping invited his Russian counterpart to Beijing during a state visit to Moscow in March, at which the two leaders signed an agreement to bring ties between their countries into a “new era” of cooperation.
No comments:
Post a Comment