Watch Russian Heavy Missile Cruisers Depart Vladivostok for Joint Drills With China

Russia and China have ramped up joint naval drills to unprecedented levels over the past year-and-a-half, with exercises conducted an average of once every two months. The two countries are founding members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization – the Eurasian economic, security and defense bloc created in 2001.

The Russian Defense Ministry has published footage of heavy warships from the Pacific Fleet departing their home port in Vladivostok on route to take part in the ‘Northern/Interaction-2023’ drills with their Chinese counterparts.

The video shows preparations for departure by the Admiral Tributs and Admiral Panteleyev, a pair of Udaloy-class guided missile destroyers with a complement of 300 sailors and officers, and fitted with the latest Russian sensor, radar, sonar, and electronic warfare equipment. The vessels are armed with an array of advanced weaponry including anti-submarine missiles, torpedoes and rocket launchers, vertical-launched 3K95 (naval versions of the Tor) anti-air missiles, large-caliber naval guns and close-in machineguns. The destroyers can carry up to two Ka-27 series helicopters apiece.

The missile corvettes Gremyashiy and Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov will also take part in the joint drills. Russian Pacific Fleet Rear Admiral Valery Kazakov is commanding the flotilla.

The ‘Northern/Interaction-2023’ drills will take place in the Sea of Japan, and are organized by the People’s Liberation Army Navy's Northern Command.

The Russian military has indicated that the drills will focus on "maintaining the security of strategic sea lanes," and that they are designed to further improve strategic interaction between the Russian and Chinese militaries, "strengthen the ability to jointly maintain regional peace and stability, and respond to various security challenges."

Five PLAN warships are expected to meet the Russian vessels, including the Qiqihar and Guiyang guided missile destroyers, the Rizhao and Zaozhuang missile frigates and the supply ship Taihu – which is equipped with four ship-borne helicopters. The Chinese vessels have left the port of Qingdao and are on route to the exercise area.

While they are not committed to any NATO-style joint operations or collective defense, Moscow and Beijing have dramatically ramped up their security cooperation in recent years, holding an unprecedented six joint Russia-China exercises in 2022 alone. In March, the two countries announced the deepening of their comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation.