A Russian naval flotilla arrived this week in the hotly contested South China Sea, where several countries—including Moscow’s quasi-ally China—have overlapping territorial claims.
Newsweek has contacted Russia and China’s foreign ministries for comment.
Why It Matters
Russia maintains a steady military presence on the Pacific side of the country despite its ongoing war in Ukraine. Last October, the Russian military deployed a naval task group on an Asia-Pacific mission that included visits to several Southeast Asian nations and exercises in the South China Sea, where sovereignty disputes remain unresolved.
The arrival of the Russian navy in Vietnam comes as the United States and China jostle for influence in Southeast Asia by staging competing military drills with regional partners. The Russian presence in the South China Sea may signal Moscow’s support for China in its territorial disputes with the Philippines—backed by the U.S., its mutual defense treaty ally.
What To Know
The Russian Pacific Fleet announced on Sunday that the frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov, the corvette Gremyashchy and the large sea tanker Boris Butoma had arrived at the port of Da Nang in Vietnam for what the Russian Embassy called “a friendly visit.”
Representatives of the Russian and Vietnamese navies were scheduled to hold meetings, while Russian sailors would visit the city’s landmarks, the Russian Embassy said, adding that the ships would continue their Asia-Pacific deployment after concluding the port call.
The port call in Vietnam comes as Hanoi, historically reliant on Russian weaponry, has deepened its security and military ties with the U.S. and China in recent years.
Last month, Nikolai Patrushev, chairman of Russia’s Maritime Board and an aide to President Vladimir Putin, met with Vietnamese Construction Minister Tran Hong Minh in Hanoi to discuss cooperation in shipbuilding, logistics and maritime infrastructure.
