China, Russia launch joint naval exercise

China and Russia on Monday launched the "Joint Sea-2026" exercise at a military port in Qingdao in east China's Shandong Province. A joint command has been established, comprising task forces from the navies of the two countries.

The exercise will be carried out in three phases: force assembly, harbor-based planning, and at-sea operations. Following the opening ceremony, the two navies conducted exercises in command and tactical coordination.