The Russian and Chinese navies have completed joint live-fire drills in the Yellow Sea, practising the repulsion of mass drone and unmanned boat attacks, as part of the annual ‘Maritime Interaction-2026’ exercise. Simultaneously, Western intelligence sources have disclosed to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that military cooperation between the two powers is far more extensive than previously known, encompassing the training of at least 200 Russian soldiers on Chinese soil in drone operations, engineering, mine warfare and combined-arms tactics. The drills, which involved the Russian cruiser Varyag and Chinese destroyers Anshan and Kaifeng, also tested joint manoeuvring, anti-submarine warfare and search-and-rescue operations, with both sides stating the exercise is defensive and not directed against any third country.

Viewed from Moscow and Beijing, the deepening interoperability serves a shared interest in countering what they describe as modern security threats, including robotic systems. Russian Pacific Fleet press statements emphasised the use of electronic warfare and artillery to defeat simulated drone swarms, while the Chinese foreign ministry, responding to FAZ queries, reiterated that bilateral ties are based on “non-alignment, non-confrontation and non-targeting of third parties.” European security circles note that the PLA is rapidly integrating lessons from Russia’s war in Ukraine, including the use of protective cages on armour, trench grids and new counter-drone systems, and that Russian front-line experience in telemedicine and casualty care is of high value to Chinese forces.

In parallel, Taiwan’s military launched a five-day joint defence drill that saw Marine Corps units redeploy from the south to reinforce the greater Taipei area, establishing command posts and conducting reconnaissance. The exercise, which simulates hostile vessels entering territorial waters, is designed to test decentralised command-and-control mechanisms and the integration of the three armed services. Analysts in Taipei describe the drill as a step below the annual Han Kuang exercise but above routine combat-readiness checks, reflecting a focus on protecting key government and economic centres through cross-regional mobile reinforcements. Separately, the Indonesian Navy has dispatched the frigate KRI I Gusti Ngurah Rai, special forces and a medical team to Vladivostok for the Orruda 2026 exercise with Russia, a reciprocal event following the 2024 iteration held in the Java Sea. Jakarta officials frame the deployment as a continuation of bilateral military engagement and an opportunity to enhance the professionalism of its personnel.

The constellation of exercises underscores a region in which major and middle powers are actively adjusting force postures and partnerships. According to the FAZ report, the China-Russia training programmes include courses on nuclear, biological and chemical defence, air defence against drones using electronic and net-based systems, and mortar targeting with drone reconnaissance, with some Russian graduates subsequently deployed to the Ukraine front. The ‘Maritime Interaction-2026’ exercise is to be followed by a joint naval patrol in the Pacific, while Taiwan’s drill runs through the week and the Orruda manoeuvres continue until 18 August. No formal response has been issued by the Chinese defence ministry to questions on the training programmes.