China-Russia Naval Joint Maritime Patrol Concludes

中俄海军海上联合巡航结束

PLA Daily (解放军报) 30 July 2026

Summary

The Chinese-Russian naval joint maritime patrol concluded July 29 in Vladivostok after a 16-day transit from Qingdao that took the four-ship formation — PLA Navy destroyers Kaifeng and Anshan, replenishment ship Kekexili Hu, and Russian frigate Rezkiy — through the Miyako, Iturup, and Soya Straits and into the Western Pacific, Sea of Okhotsk, and Sea of Japan. The patrol included mutual cross-deck helicopter landings, joint VBSS (临检拿捕), and what the article describes as impromptu combat-realistic (实战化) drills, extending a documented pattern of annual Sino-Russian naval cooperation that has progressively incorporated more complex interoperability tasks. The route through three straits bordering Japan and the inclusion of the Sea of Okhotsk documents the geographic scope the two navies now treat as routine operating space, though the article does not specify what triggered the impromptu scenarios or which side initiated them.

The formation transited the Miyako Strait (East China Sea chokepoint) and the Iturup and Soya Straits into the Sea of Okhotsk, and included carrier-borne aircraft flight operations — a routing and capability combination that extends the geographic and operational scope of prior China-Russia joint patrols and warrants tracking by analysts monitoring Sino-Russian naval integration and Pacific chokepoint transits.

Translation

China-Russia Naval Joint Maritime Patrol Concludes

During the China-Russia naval joint maritime patrol, Chinese carrier-borne aircraft conducted flight training. (Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Bingxuan, photographer)

During the China-Russia naval joint maritime patrol, Chinese vessels conducted underway replenishment. (Cheng Jiahao, photographer)

PLA Daily, Vladivostok, July 29 — Reported by Wang Yang and reporter Zhang Lin: The naval vessel formation participating in the China-Russia naval joint maritime patrol arrived at Vladivostok, Russia on the 29th, marking the conclusion of this joint patrol.

The joint patrol formation consisted of Chinese Navy missile destroyers Kaifeng and Anshan, the comprehensive replenishment ship Kekexili Hu, and the Russian Navy frigate Rezkiy.

The formation departed from Qingdao, Shandong on July 13, transiting the Miyako Strait, the Iturup Strait, and the Soya Strait, and conducted joint patrols in the Western Pacific and in the Sea of Okhotsk, Sea of Japan, and other maritime areas.

During the patrol, both Chinese and Russian sides jointly conducted training exercises in subjects including mutual cross-deck landings of carrier-borne helicopters, joint counter-terrorism, humanitarian rescue, and visit, board, search, and seizure (临检拿捕). Chinese vessels also, in response to the prevailing maritime and air situation, set up scenarios on an impromptu basis and conducted multiple combat-realistic (实战化) training exercises.

This joint patrol is arranged within the annual cooperation plan between the two militaries, aimed at enhancing the two militaries' joint operational capabilities and jointly responding to maritime security threats. It has no bearing on the current international and regional situation.

Original Chinese

中俄海军海上联合巡航结束中俄海军海上联合巡航期间，中方舰载机开展飞行训练。新华社记者李秉宣摄中俄海军海上联合巡航期间，中方舰艇进行航行补给。程嘉豪摄解放军报符拉迪沃斯托克7月29日电王洋、记者张琳报道：参加中俄海军海上联合巡航的舰艇编队29日抵达俄罗斯符拉迪沃斯托克，此次联合巡航结束。联合巡航的舰艇编队由中国海军导弹驱逐舰开封舰、鞍山舰和综合补给舰可可西里湖舰，俄罗斯海军“凛冽”号护卫舰组成。编队于7月13日自山东青岛起航，航经宫古海峡、择捉海峡、宗谷海峡，在西太平洋及鄂霍次克海、日本海等海域开展联合巡航。巡航期间，中俄双方共同开展了舰载直升机互降、联合反恐、人道主义救援、临检拿捕等课目演练。中方舰艇还结合当面海空情态势，临机设置情节，开展多项实战化课目演练。此次联合巡航是中俄两军年度合作计划内安排，旨在提升两军联合行动能力、共同应对海上安全威胁，与当前国际和地区局势无关。