Russia has begun naval maneuvers in the Pacific Ocean, including anti-submarine warfare and air strike exercises, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The announcement comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit North Korea to cement the strategic partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un described the two countries as bound by the "unbreakable bonds of brothers in arms".
The maneuvers, involving about 40 ships, cutters and boats, as well as about 20 aircraft and helicopters, will continue from June 18 to 28 in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk in the Russian Far East, AFP reported.
A video released by the ministry shows several ships and a submarine sailing in formation off the Sea of Japan in Vladivostok, the home port of Russia's Pacific Fleet.
"At various stages, sailors will practice anti-submarine warfare, missile strikes on groups of conventional enemy ships" and "repelling air and sea drone attacks," the ministry's statement added. | BGNES
