KALININGRAD, July 27. /TASS/. Russian-Chinese naval exercise Joint Sea 2017 along the Baltic Sea wound up on Thursday, Captain 1st Rank Roman Martov, the official spokesman for Russia's Baltic Fleet told TASS.

"Ships of the Russian Navy and of the Chinese Naval Force wrapped up their maneuvering under the program of the active phase of the joint naval exercise in the Baltic Sea," he said. "The Baltic Fleet's corvettes Boykiy and Steregushchiy have returned to their permanent base in the port of Baltiysk in the Kaliningrad region."

"The Chinese destroyer Hefei, the frigate Yuncheng and the support ship Lomahu are heading for St Petersburg to take part in the festivities on the occasion of Russian Navy Day on July 30," Capt. Martov said.

During the course of maneuvers that took place from July 25 through July 27, the seamen fulfilled all the provisions of the exercise program. Specifically, the crews conducted artillery firing at waterborne and aerial targets, using about 1,500 shells for the purpose.

Also, the Russian and Chinese seamen drilled assistance to a distressed ship, as well as a search and rescue operation of individuals in distress on the high seas.

"They had to fulfill the tasks of the exercise’s active phase amid complicated weather conditions, as gusts of wind reached 15 meters per second in the central water area of the Baltic and the heaving of the sea was rough," Capt. Martov said.

Crews of a Norwegian frigate, a Swedish corvette and a French reconnaissance aircraft watched the progress of the maneuvers.
"The joint staff of the exercise will sum up the results of the drills later," Capt. Martov said.