Before Xi visit, Russia says it held naval drills with China and Iran in Arabian Sea

The exercises, off the Iranian port of Chabahar, took place as Russian President Vladimir Putin prepares to host his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Moscow for a three-day state visit starting on Monday.

By: Reuters

Beijing | Updated: March 18, 2023 05:37 PM IST

1 min read

Wax figures depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are displayed at a wax sculpture museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, Friday, March 17, 2023. (AP/PTI)

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Russia, China and Iran have completed three-way naval exercises in the Arabian Sea that included artillery fire at targets on the sea and in the air, the Russian defence ministry said on Saturday.

Russia has continued to stage military exercises with partners, especially China, despite the strain on its armed forces from the year-long war in Ukraine, where it has failed to achieve any major advance since last summer.

The Russian frigate Admiral Gorshkov and the Chinese destroyer Nanjing were involved in the drills that took place on Thursday and Friday, the defence ministry said.

The Gorshkov, which is equipped with Russia’s latest-generation Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles, also took part in joint naval exercises last month with China and South Africa.

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