MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian and Chinese warships conducted missile and artillery firing drills in the Sea of Japan as part of ongoing joint exercises Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry told reporters.
"In the Sea of Japan, warships of the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Navy and the People's Liberation Army of China, acting as part of a joint detachment, worked out complex tasks with live firing of missile weapons and artillery as part of the Ocean 2024 strategic command and staff exercise," the ministry said.
More than 15 Russian warships participated in the episode of the exercise, it added.
"The actions of the naval forces were supported by more than 10 aircraft and helicopters of the Naval Aviation of the Pacific Fleet and the Russian Aerospace Forces. The destroyers Xining and Wuxi, as well as the frigate Lin Yi, participated from the Chinese side," the statement said.
24 representatives from 10 countries observed the exercises from the Marshal Shaposhnikov frigate.
The maneuvers in the waters of the Pacific and Arctic Oceans and the Mediterranean, Caspian and Baltic Seas involve more than 400 ships, submarines and auxiliary fleet support vessels.
Over 120 aircraft and helicopters of the naval aviation contingent of the Navy and Russia's Aerospace Forces are also taking part, making use of 7,000 units of weapons and military and special equipment as well as more than 90,000 personnel.
Naval exercises under the codename Ocean were conducted by the General Command of the Soviet Navy in 1970, 1975, 1977, 1983 and 1985. The exercises were the largest operational and combat training events undertaken by the Soviet Navy in the post-war period and the largest in world history at the time.