QINGDAO, Oct. 23 (ChinaMil) -- On the morning of October 21, a Russian naval fleet comprised of the cruiser Varyag, the anti-submarine destroyer Admiral Panteleyev and the replenishment oiler Boris Butoma, under the command of Rear Admiral Eduard Mikhailov, arrived at Qingdao, a coastal city in eastern China, for a five-day goodwill visit.
The three visiting vessels belong to Russia’s Pacific Fleet, of which both the cruiser Varyag and the anti-submarine destroyer Admiral Panteleyev had visited Qingdao before. Onboard the vessels are nearly 1,000 troops. This is one of the largest Russian naval fleets visiting China in recent years, demonstrating the deep friendship between the two countries and militaries.
During the visit, both sides would carry out open ship activities and specialized exchanges. Russian naval officers and soldiers would also observe drills such as damage control and rescue of the wounded conducted by the Chinese sailors aboard the guided missile destroyer Xining (Hull 117).
In addition, exchange activities such as tours, sports competitions and deck receptions would be organized to further consolidate the friendship between Chinese and Russian sailors and deepen the mutual understanding and trust between the two navies.