Russian-Chinese naval drills underscore deepening military ties

The Russian defense ministry announced that the Baltic Fleet participated in joint exercises with units from China. The maneuvers took place in the waters of the Gulf of Finland.

"A PASSEX-type joint Russian-Chinese exercise took place at the naval military ground of the Baltic Fleet’s Leningrad naval base in the Gulf of Finland. It involved the The Soobrazitelny corvette of the Russian Baltic Fleet and the Jiaozuo destroyer of the Chinese Navy," the ministry reported.

The ministry emphasized that "using its radio equipment, the crews detected the mock enemy’s mine barriers and destroyed them using the onboard artillery, and practiced joint search and rescue actions and aiding a mock surface ship, damaged in a fight, as well as saving the crew on the water."

The crews of both ships also practiced rescue missions in the water.

On Sunday, Vladimir Putin attended the Navy Day celebrations in St. Petersburg. A Chinese fleet ship arrived in Russia in connection with this event.

Putin personally welcomed units from "friendly states," arriving by cutter. First, he thanked the Chinese sailors from the warship Jiaozuo for their presence. Then he went to the Algerian training ship Soummam, and on the return trip, he stopped to greet the crew of the Indian warship Tabar.

The British Ministry of Defense noted that several events in Russia have been canceled for security reasons since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, this particular event stands out as the most significant, highlighting the growing challenges the Kremlin faces in securing its armed forces.