The Russian military launched exercise OCEAN 24, a massive naval and air drill spanning across the Pacific and Arctic Oceans, the Mediterranean, Caspian and Baltic Seas, and including Chinese PLA-N forces.

As reported by the Russian Defense Ministry, the complex, strategic-level exercise involves over 400 warships, submarines and support vessels, more than 120 planes and helicopters, and over 90,000 troops.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking on the exercise, highlighted that it is the largest of their kind in 3 decades, with a total of 15 countries invited to observe, though their names were not disclosed. In their statement, the Chinese officials limited the confirmation of their participation in the Pacific scenario, without providing further details.

In accordance with a Russian MoD release, China has dispatched cruiser CNS WUXI, destroyer CNS XINING, frigate CNS LINYI and fleet oiler CNS TAIHU to participate in the exercise, together with Russian Navy corvettes RFS SORVERSHENNY, RFS GROMKY and RFS Hero of the Russian Federation ALDAR TSYDENZHAPOV and other Russian ships forming a joint Russian-Chinese naval force.

The release also added that the combined force conducted anti-aircraft, anti-submarine, and anti-mine defense drills in the central part of the Sea of Japan where, under a joint command, the ships repelled attacks from high-speed uncrewed surface vehicles (USV) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).

Russia’s Defense Minister, Andrei Belousov, confirmed that the fictitious scenario saw the combined air-maritime forces “repelling a large-scale aggression of a potential enemy from ocean directions, combating unmanned boats, unmanned aerial vehicles, defending naval bases, conducting amphibious operations and escorting transports.”

During the week, the Russian MoD also confirmed the conduct of live fire activities in the same area of exercise with the participation of 15 warships, 2 diesel submarines, and 10 Russian Air Force naval aircraft. The North American Aerospace Defense Command also confirmed activities of Russian aircraft operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), with the detection of Russian Tu-142 and IL-38s flying in the ADIZ but not violating the US or Canadian airspace.

Following the recent Russian participation in the Chinese exercise NORTHERN INTERACTION 24, the OCEAN 24 is the 6th joint maritime patrol in the Pacific Ocean that the PLAN and Russian Navy have conducted together in the last years.

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