MOSCOW, July 14. /TASS/. Ships from the Russian Navy and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy have wrapped up the Joint Sea 2026 exercise and headed out for joint patrol in the waters of the Asia-Pacific region, the press service of the Russian Pacific Fleet reported.
"The joint Russian-Chinese naval exercise Joint Sea 2026 has ended in the People’s Republic of China. The closing ceremony took place at the PLA's Qingdao Naval Base. <…> Following the ceremony, some of the ships set sail for the Yellow Sea, where a joint Russian-Chinese detachment was established and began patrolling the waters of the Asia-Pacific region," the press service reported.
It said that the exercise commanders of the two countries, Rear Admiral Sergey Sinko and Rear Admiral Qiu Wensheng, spoke to the commanders of the Russian and PLA Navy ships, as well as officers of the joint command staff. Rear Admiral Sergey Sinko, the Russian exercise commander, stressed that the experience gained will be in demand in future naval activities of the two countries and will be an important contribution to deepening mutual trust and Russian-Chinese cooperation.
Joint Sea 2026 exercise
The Joint Sea 2026 exercise was held from July 6 to 12. The Russian fleet was represented by the cruiser Varyag, the corvette Rezky, the diesel-electric submarine Ufa, and the rescue vessel Igor Belousov. The Chinese fleet featured the destroyers Anshan and Kaifeng, the frigate Wuhu, a Yuan-class diesel-electric submarine, the comprehensive replenishment ship Kekexilihu, and the rescue vessel Yanchenghu.
During the shore-based phase, ship commanders and staff officers used charts to plan the maritime phase of the exercise. During the maritime exercise in the Yellow Sea, the ships of the joint detachment fired artillery and machine gun systems, fending off a simulated attack by robotic systems, including unmanned aerial vehicles and uncrewed boats.
In addition, the ships' crews trained in joint maneuvering, anti-submarine warfare, countering enemy surface ships, and rescue operations.
The first joint Russian-Chinese naval patrol in the Asia-Pacific region occurred in 2021 and has been conducted annually since. In 2025, submarines from the Russian and PLA Navy took part in the patrol for the first time.