Putin casts naval exercise with China as bid to counter US in the Pacific

[Pelican Press 0]

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****** casts naval exercise with China as bid to counter US in the Pacific

By Vladimir Soldatkin and Dmitry Antonov

MOSCOW (Reuters) -President Vladimir ****** on Tuesday warned the ******* States against trying to outgun Moscow in Asia as Russian and ******** warships held ****** drills as part of the biggest Russian naval exercises since the ******* era.

****** said the wider “Ocean-2024” strategic exercise would be conducted from the Mediterranean to the Pacific and would test units’ combat-readiness and the use of high-precision weapons, including promising new types.

It would also incorporate lessons learned from Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine.

“We pay special attention to strengthening military cooperation with friendly states,” he told military officials in televised remarks at the launch of the manoeuvres.

“Today, in the context of growing geopolitical tensions in the world, this is especially important. We see that the ******* States of America is trying to maintain its global military and political dominance at any cost.”

****** said Russia should be ready for any developments and would keep strengthening its naval forces, including their nuclear component, in the face of what he described as an arms race driven by Washington.

“Under the pretext of countering the allegedly existing Russian threat and containing the People’s Republic of China, the ******* States and its satellites are increasing their military presence near Russia’s western borders, in the Arctic, and in the Asia-Pacific region,” he said.

“The ******* States and its allies are openly declaring their plans to deploy medium- and shorter-range missiles in the so-called forward zones.”

The ******* States says its alliances in the Pacific, such as the AUKUS partnership with Britain and Australia, are aimed at deepening military cooperation to promote regional stability. AUKUS last year announced a ****** plan that would provide Australia with nuclear-powered ******* submarines from the early 2030s to counter China’s ambitions in the Indo-Pacific.

“With its aggressive actions, the ******* States is trying to achieve a tangible military advantage, thereby breaking the existing security architecture and balance of power in the Asia-Pacific region,” ****** said.

Navy commander Alexander Moiseyev reported to him that four ******** vessels and 15 planes were exercising with Russian forces.

China’s official

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said on Monday the aim was to deepen “the level of strategic coordination between the ******** and Russian militaries and enhance their ability to jointly respond to security threats”.

The drills with China are part of much larger Russian manoeuvres that will run until Sept. 16 in the Pacific and Arctic Oceans and the Mediterranean, Baltic and Caspian seas.

Moiseyev told ****** that these would involve more than 90,000 Russian servicemen, over 400 vessels, 125 aircraft and more than 7,500 units of weaponry.

Russia’s armed forces have been heavily stretched on land and sea for the past two and a half years by its war in Ukraine. Ukrainian forces, despite being vastly outgunned in naval firepower, have managed to inflict damaging blows on Moscow’s ****** Sea Fleet.

Russia has nevertheless continued to stage large-scale military exercises – including thousands of miles away in its far east – in order to project power and build defence ties with partners, especially China.

(Additional reporting by Darya Korsunskaya; writing by Mark Trevelyan, Editing by Angus MacSwan)

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