The Russian and Chinese navies conducted a mock submarine strike just days after Donald Trump revealed a major military move.
The Russian and Chinese navies have carried out joint anti-submarine exercises in the Sea of Japan, Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Wednesday, shortly after former U.S. President Donald Trump revealed he had moved two nuclear submarines closer to Russia.
According to Moscow, the drills involved Russian Il-38 and Chinese Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft, as well as helicopter units.
“As a result of effective joint actions, the ‘enemy’ submarine was promptly detected and mock-destroyed,” the ministry stated.
The announcement comes after Trump said he ordered the sub deployment in response to “highly provocative” remarks by ex-Russian president Dmitry Medvedev.
The Kremlin downplayed the move, noting that U.S. submarines are routinely on combat duty and warning that “everyone should be very, very careful with nuclear rhetoric.”
The submarine drill is part of broader Russian-Chinese naval maneuvers, underscoring the strategic alignment between the two nations since their 2022 “no-limits” partnership declaration ahead of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.