On July 6, 2026, the navies of China and Russia commenced a joint military exercise in the Yellow Sea. The operation includes submarines and surface vessels from both countries, as detailed in a press release by the Chinese Ministry of National Defense. The exercise is scheduled to run through July 13.

Chinese naval forces participating in the drills comprise two missile destroyers, Kaifeng and Ansha, the missile frigate Wuhu, the comprehensive supply ship Kekexilihu, the submarine rescue ship Yangchenghu, and one unnamed submarine. Russian assets involved include the Guards cruiser Varyag, the corvette Rezkiy, the diesel-electric submarine Ufa, and the rescue vessel Igor Belousov, according to Russian state-run news agency RIA Novosti.

Following the exercise, the Chinese and Russian naval forces plan to conduct a joint maritime patrol, as announced in a Sunday press release.

Additional context includes the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, where over 10,000 North Korean troops are reportedly fighting for Russia, according to the Kyiv Independent. The Ukrainian military sank Russia's Black Sea fleet flagship, the guided-missile cruiser Moskva, on April 14, 2022, as reported by The Associated Press.

This joint exercise follows previous multinational drills involving China, Russia, and Iran, such as those in the Gulf of Oman in 2025.

Sources also note heightened Chinese aerial activity near Taiwan, with a peak of 32 sorties in one day on June 3, 2026, many crossing into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone.

Sources