25 July 2017, 13:10 GMT
KALININGRAD (Sputnik) – Russian and Chinese warships have started the active phase of joint naval exercises dubbed Joint Sea-2017 with live-firing drills involving small-caliber anti-aircraft artillery, spokesman for the Russian Baltic Fleet Capt. 1st Rank Roman Martov told reporters on Tuesday.
“Today Russian and Chinese vessels left the military harbor of Baltiysk to participate in the active phase of the Russian-Chinese drills Joint Sea-2017. On the same day, Russian-Chinese tactical groups of vessels were formed in the Baltic Sea and started the active phase of the military naval drills involving shooting at surface and air targets from small-caliber anti-aircraft artillery,” Martov said.
He added that in the coming several days the tactical groups would also train in the examination of suspicious ships, retaking vessels captured by pirates as well as conducting search and rescue operations.
The Joint Sea-2017 kicked off on Saturday in Baltiysk and will last until Friday. The drills are aimed at practicing interaction between the Russian and Chinese fleets in countering naval threats, coherence of actions of the crew and enhancing cooperation between the Russian and Chinese naval troops, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
