Algeria and Russia launched a four-day joint military exercise in the Mediterranean Sea on Tuesday, Algerian Defense Ministry said.
A number of Russian warships have moored at the port of Algiers to carry out Joint Naval Exercises 2022.
The exercise aims to strengthen and develop military cooperation between Russia and Algeria, the ministry statement said.
Earlier, Russian Ministry of Defense stated that another joint anti-terrorist exercise of the Land Forces of Russia and Algeria, "Desert Shield 2022", will take place on November 16-28, 2022 at the Hamakir training ground in Algeria.
In late September, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the upcoming Russian-Algerian anti-terrorist exercises in November are routine and are not directed against a third party.
According to the ministry, the exercise will work out the search, detection and destruction of illegal armed groups. About 80 servicemen from each side are planned to be engaged in the exercise.
In mid-July, the Black Sea Fleet reconnaissance ship Kildin and the small sea tanker Vice-Admiral Paromov entered the port of Algiers on a three-day visit, Russian outlets reported.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that the purpose of their visit was to strengthen bilateral military cooperation between the naval forces of Algeria and the Russian Navy, as well as to exchange experience and strengthen cooperation between the two armies.
The first joint Russian-Algerian tactical exercise took place in October 2021 at the Tarskoye training ground in North Ossetia, Russia, in which approximately 200 Russian and Algerian soldiers took part, about 40 units of military and special equipment were involved.
In November 2021, Russian and Algerian warships carried out Joint Naval Maneuvers - 2021. The main objectives of the exercise were the development of Russian-Algerian military cooperation, exchange of experience between the fleets, planning and coordination of joint naval training activities.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Algeria along with Morocco and Egypt, is one of Russia's top three trading partners on the African continent. Against the backdrop of large-scale sanctions imposed by Western countries against Russia after the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, Algeria did not join the restrictive measures against Moscow and maintains a neutral position.
10 October 2022, 18:11 GMT
On September 1-7, 2022, the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces hosted The Vostok-2022 strategic command and staff exercises with the participation of military contingents and observers from the CSTO, SCO and partner states. Algeria was among the partner states.
As part of the exercises, defensive and offensive activitaya at the air defense ranges, as well as in the waters and coastal zones of the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan have been practiced.