MOSCOW. July 21 (Interfax) - The participants in the North/Interaction-2023 Russian-Chinese naval maneuvers practiced joint vessel escort operations and measures to make an intruding vessel leave a district closed to navigation, the Russian Pacific Fleet said on Friday.
"During an exercise that focused on forcing an intruding ship out of a district closed to navigation, Russian and Chinese naval sailors practiced a set of standard measures to make the vessel leave the prohibited area," the fleet's press service said.
"In waters of the Sea of Japan, members of the Russian Navy and the Navy of the People's Liberation Army of China launched the active phase of the North/Interaction-2023 joint Russian-Chinese naval drills," it said.
As it was banished from the prohibited area, the intruding vessel, the role of which was played by Russia's Gremyashchy corvette, tried to approach a formation of ships and ignored their orders to slow down and change course.
"Following unsuccessful attempts to get in touch with the intruder via international communication channels, warning signal flares were fired in its direction and then an Utyos machinegun fired warning shots along the trajectory of the intruding vessel's movement. A [Kamov] Ka-27 naval helicopter was also dispatched to the ship," it said.
Following those actions, the vessel slowed down and was encircled by Russia's Admiral Tributs large anti-submarine ship and China's Rizhao guided missile frigate in order to establish the vessel's nationality and to carry out an inspection, the press service said.
"As they practiced measures to ensure the safety of navigation in remote areas of the world ocean, naval sailors of the two countries simulated operations to provide sea and air escort for ships and vessels. This part of the exercise focused on organizing reliable air, anti-ship and anti-submarine defense for a combined unit of ships," it said.
The Russian Defense Ministry on Friday released video footage of the two countries' joint unit of ships recorded from a helicopter.
It was reported earlier that the North/Interaction-2023 joint Russian-Chinese naval maneuvers began in the Sea of Japan on July 20. They will continue until July 23.