Russian and Chinese submarines join forces in Pacific patrol first

Mission and choice of vessels reflect the deepening military coordination between the armed forces of the two countries

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Chinese and Russian sailors taking part in joint search and rescue drills in the Sea of Japan, near Vladivostok, Russia, on August 5. Photo: EPA/Russian Defence Ministry

Published: 10:00pm, 28 Aug 2025Updated: 11:32pm, 28 Aug 2025

Russian and Chinese submarines have conducted their first joint patrol in the Pacific, the latest in a series of efforts to expand military cooperation between the two countries.

The Russian Navy’s Pacific Fleet said on Wednesday that the patrol began in early August after five days of joint naval exercises in the Sea of Japan – also known as the East Sea – from August 1.

“The diesel-electric submarine Volkhov of the Pacific Fleet and a submarine of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy took to patrolling along an approved route in the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea,” the statement said.

It was not clear if the submarines were part of a 15-day annual joint naval patrol that ended on August 20.

The patrols and the “Maritime Interaction-2025” drill come in the countdown to a massive military parade in Beijing next week to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of the second world war.

The Chinese foreign ministry confirmed on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be among dozens of foreign leaders to attend the event.

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