Russia and China Hold First Joint Naval Exercises in Baltic Sea
- Warships train with ‘artillery fire’ at targets, Tass reports
- Lithuania says it’s monitoring drills and reporting to NATO
Chinese and Russian sailors compete during the 'Joint Sea-2017' exercises in Baltiysk, Kaliningrad, Russia, on July 24, 2017.
Photographer: Wang Xiujun/VCG via Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Russian and Chinese naval warships are holding joint exercises in the Baltic Sea for the first time, underscoring deepening military cooperation between the two powers.
China’s Hefei destroyer, Yuncheng frigate and Lomahu supply vessel are involved in drills with two Russian corvettes that include “artillery fire at surface and air targets” in the Joint Sea-2017 maneuvers, Russia’s Tass news service reported Tuesday. Helicopters and Su-24 bombers will also be involved in the “anti-aircraft and anti-ship defense measures” coordinated from the Baltiysk base in Russia’s Kaliningrad enclave, it said.