Russia, China Carry Out First Joint Naval Patrol in Pacific Region

Russia and China have completed their first-ever joint naval patrol in the Pacific Ocean, launched in early August following the Maritime Interaction 2025 drills in the Sea of Japan. The mission involved Russia’s diesel-electric submarine Volkhov and a Chinese PLA Navy submarine navigating an agreed route across the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea before returning to base. The patrol comes amid rising Western naval activity in the Indo-Pacific. Both nations have conducted earlier missions this year to boost military cooperation, safeguard economic facilities, and maintain stability in the Asia-Pacific.