These images purport to show Russian warships leaving the port of Vladivostok and setting out to sea to take part in military exercises with the Chinese Navy.
The images were obtained from the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Tuesday, 18th July, along with a statement claiming: “Warships of the Pacific Fleet left Vladivostok to participate in the joint Russian-Chinese naval exercise ‘North. Interaction-2023’.”
The Russian MoD also said that the exercise and take place this month in the Sea of Japan, adding: “The Russian Federation will be represented at the exercise by large anti-submarine ships ‘Admiral Tributs’ and ‘Admiral Panteleev’, corvettes ‘Thundering’ and ‘Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov’.
“The actions of the detachment at sea are led by the commander of the Primorsky Flotilla of the diverse forces of the Pacific Fleet, Rear Admiral Valery Kazakov.
“A few days earlier, four warships and a support vessel for the Naval Forces of the People’s Liberation Army of China left the port of Qingdao for the exercise area.”
We have not been able to independently verify the claims or the footage.
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February 2022 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 510th day of the full-scale war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 18th July 2023, Russia had lost about 239,010 personnel, 4,119 tanks, 8,051 armoured combat vehicles, 4,542 artillery units, 689 multiple launch rocket systems, 428 air defence systems, 315 warplanes, 310 helicopters, 3,839 drones, 1,273 cruise missiles, 18 warships, 7,086 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 677 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
Russia has pulled out of the UN-brokered Black Sea grain deal and said the decision is final, warning that it could not guarantee the safety of ships.
US Secretary Of State Antony Blinken has labelled the decision “unconscionable”, while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that he did not accept Moscow’s explanations regarding why it terminated the agreement.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the deal must continue and could do so without Russia’s participation, adding: “Africa has the right to stability. Asia has the right to stability.”
A deadly attack on the Kerch Bridge linking the Crimean peninsula to the Russian mainland has halted traffic in one direction, although the parallel rail bridge was not hit.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said that the Ministry of Defence in Moscow was preparing a response to the attack.
Ukraine has not yet officially claimed responsibility for the attack although Ukrainian media said that the Ukrainian security services had used maritime drones in the attack on the bridge.
And Ukrainian security service spokesperson Artem Degtyarenko said that his agency would reveal details about the attack after Kyiv had won the war against Russia.
