Russian media reports that a detachment of ships has returned to Russia after three weeks of patrolling with Chinese ships
Russian Interfax, a news agency, had relayed that a fleet of navy warships had returned after three weeks of patrolling with Chinese warships in the Pacific.
Russia’s Pacific Fleet warships, along with Chinese navy ships, traveled a total of 7,000 nautical miles. The vessels passed through the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk, the Bering Sea, and the Pacific Ocean.
The ships passed by the Kuril Ridge while patrolling. A group of islands off the coast of Hokkaido is known as the Kurils by the Russians. The Japanese refer to them as the Northern Territories. These islands have been a point of tension between both nations.
The warships also patrolled the Aleutian Islands archipelago. A part of the Aleutian Islands belongs to the state of Alaska in the United States. However, the Commander Islands are located near the Kamchatka Peninsula and belong to Russia.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, the combined Russian-Chinese fleet was close to the Alaskan region of the Aleutian Islands. It was the first time a large fleet had been on the coast. However, the fleet did not enter American waters.
According to sources, some of the Pacific Fleet’s largest warships participated in the patrolling exercise.
Interfax news agency reported that the ships carried out joint exercises as well. These exercises include anti-submarine and anti-aircraft drills. They also searched for an underwater submarine of a mock enemy.
The Russian-Chinese ships used helicopters and naval aviation aircraft to search. There were also mock missile firings from enemy ships.
Russia and China garnered attention from America.
American authorities on the coast of Alaska took immediate action after spotting the foreign fleet. The United States immediately sent four destroyers to the region.
Republican Senator Dan Sullivan states that the fleet of the joint operation was unprecedented. There has never been such a large patrol of foreign vessels near the coast of Alaska. Thus, they deployed four destroyers in response.