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Russia, BRICS partners working on protection against Western piracy — presidential aide

Nikolay Patrushev recalled that the BRICS Will for Peace 2026 drills took place in the South Atlantic Ocean in January, with Russia, China, Iran, the UAE, and South Africa involved

Russian Presidential Aide, Marine Collegium Chairman Nikolay Patrushev Pavel Orlovsky/BelTA/TASS

Russian Presidential Aide, Marine Collegium Chairman Nikolay Patrushev

© Pavel Orlovsky/BelTA/TASS

MOSCOW, February 17. /TASS/. Protection against Western piracy is the main focus of the BRICS joint naval exercises, Nikolay Patrushev, Russian presidential aide and chairman of the Russian Maritime Board, said in an interview with the aif.ru news outlet.

He recalled that the BRICS Will for Peace 2026 drills took place in the South Atlantic Ocean in January, with Russia, China, Iran, the UAE, and South Africa involved. Patrushev also called the Maritime Security Belt 2026 exercises in the Strait of Hormuz conducted by Russia, China, and Iran, relevant.

"The fleets practiced cooperation in protecting trade routes, which are currently becoming increasingly vulnerable, including in the face of Western piracy," he described the maneuvers.

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