Destroyers Shaoxing, Urumqi arrive in Vladivostok for 5-day ‘Joint Sea 2025’ drill beginning on Friday

The guided-missile destroyers the Shaoxing and the Urumqi arrived at the eastern port city of Vladivostok for the five-day joint naval drill that starts on Friday, state news agency Sputnik reported on Thursday, quoting Russia’s Pacific Fleet.

The drills will also involve diesel-electric submarines and naval aircraft from both countries, according to Russia’s Tass news agency.

The “Joint Sea 2025” drill would be followed by the sixth joint maritime patrol in the Pacific, China’s defence ministry said on Wednesday.

The exercise will take place in the sea and airspace near Vladivostok, Russia’s far eastern port city. Some of the forces in the exercise will then take part in the subsequent joint patrol in designated ocean areas, according to ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang.