China and Russia Begin Joint Naval Exercises in Qingdao... "Live-Fire and Missile Interception Drills Included"

China and Russia began their annual joint naval exercises in waters near Qingdao, Shandong Province, on July 6 (local time).

The two nations plan to conduct joint reconnaissance and missile interception drills, followed by live-fire exercises.

According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency, the navies of China and Russia held an opening ceremony for the "Joint Sea-2026" exercises at a naval port in Qingdao on the same day and commenced full-scale training.

The exercises will be conducted in three stages: troop assembly, port planning, and maritime drills.

Warships from both countries completed their assembly the previous day, and following the opening ceremony, they conducted command post exercises and tactical coordination training.

They will subsequently move to the waters and airspace near Qingdao to carry out various drills, including joint reconnaissance and missile interception, as well as live-fire training.

The Chinese exercise commander stated at the opening ceremony, "The 'Joint Sea' exercises have become an important platform for strengthening strategic trust between the two navies and enhancing their joint operational capabilities," adding, "It has further elevated the level of practical cooperation between the two navies and their ability to jointly respond to maritime threats."

The Russian exercise commander also stated, "This training will serve as an opportunity to promote mutual trust between the two militaries and enhance their ability to jointly safeguard regional peace and stability."

For this exercise, China has deployed assets centered on the Northern Theater Command Navy, including the Type 055 guided-missile destroyer Anshan, the Type 052DL guided-missile destroyer Kaifeng, the Type 054A guided-missile frigate Wuhu, the comprehensive supply ship Kekexilihu, and one submarine.

The Type 055 destroyer is considered the Chinese Navy's most advanced large destroyer and a core asset of its aircraft carrier strike groups.

Russia has dispatched the missile cruiser Varyag, known as an "aircraft carrier killer," the frigate Rezkiy, the submarine Ufa, and the rescue ship Igor Belousov.

In addition to the warships, both China and Russia have deployed ship-borne helicopters and marine corps units for the exercises. After concluding the drills, they plan to move to the Pacific region to conduct joint patrols.

The Chinese Ministry of National Defense stated the previous day, "These exercises and joint patrols are part of the annual cooperation plan between the two militaries," adding, "They are intended to jointly respond to security challenges and safeguard regional peace and stability together."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.