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Chinese Navy warships arrive in Russian Baltic port for joint drills

The Chinese naval group includes the frigate Yuncheng, the supply vessel Luoma Lake and the destroyer Hefei

© AP Photo/Kin Cheung

KALININGRAD, July 21. /TASS/. A group of Chinese Navy warships led by the missile destroyer Hefei has arrived in the port of Baltiysk in Russia’s westernmost Kaliningrad Region for joint Russia-China drills dubbed the Joint Sea-2017, Baltic Fleet spokesman Roman Martov told TASS on Friday.

"The Chinese naval group includes the frigate Yuncheng and the supply vessel Luoma Lake, apart from the destroyer Hefei," the spokesman said.

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Russian-Chinese drills at Baltic Sea inject novelty into military cooperation — ambassador

The Chinese sailors were received by representatives of the Command of the Russian Navy, the Baltic Fleet, China’s diplomatic corps and a guard of honor in the port of Baltiysk.

Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Russia’s Navy Vice-Admiral Alexander Fedotenkov and Deputy Commander of the Chinese Navy Vice-Admiral Tian Zhong who are in charge of the drills noted that the maneuvers were not aimed against other countries.

The drills will be the first in the history of interaction of the Chinese Navy and the Russian Baltic Fleet and will aim to practice joint operations at sea, on the ground and in the air.

During the active phase of the drills that will be held on July 25-26 in the Baltic Sea, the sailors will practice anti-saboteur, antiaircraft and anti-ship defense. The warships’ crews will deliver fire against various surface and air targets and organize joint operations for rescuing a person falling overboard and providing aid to a ship in distress.

The Baltic Fleet’s corvettes Steregushchiy and Boiky, a rescue tug and shipborne Kamov Ka-27 multipurpose helicopters, Sukhoi Su-24 tactical frontline bombers and Antonov An-26 military and transport planes will represent the Russian Navy in the joint drills.

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