Moscow's oceanic props. Some Pacific Fleet ships remember Brezhnev

During his visit to Moscow, Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu handed Putin new tasks from Xi Jinping. China is not happy that Shoigu is exposing its eastern borders by moving troops and equipment to the war in Ukraine. While the Russians should strengthen the grouping in the Kuril Islands and actively irritate Japan.

The bunker man had already received a directive from Xi to muddy the waters in the Pacific Ocean. It is so important to Beijing that the Kremlin has even begun to detach itself from the so-called 'special military operation': after the Chinese defense minister's visit to Russia, Putin told Shoigu that the development of the Pacific Fleet is no less important than the war in Ukraine.

“It is so important to Beijing that the Kremlin has even begun to detach itself from the so-called 'special military operation': after the Chinese defense minister's visit to Russia, Putin told Shoigu that the development of the Pacific Fleet is no less important than the war in Ukraine.”

China is creating an additional point of tension in the Pacific region, in addition to Taiwan. To do so, it is trying to set Japan and Russia at odds. The Southern Kuril Islands are a good opportunity for this. China is afraid of Japan's military strengthening and the return of the Kuril Islands to their control in a situation where the Russians are spending all their military potential on the war against Ukraine.

Japan considers the southern Kuril Islands to be its territory. Until recently, this was recognized by China, but in early April, for the first time in 60 years, it changed its position: it called the territories 'neutral.'

Even before the Chinese defense minister's visit, the Kremlin 'unexpectedly' conducted a readiness test of its Pacific Fleet. This was a kind of Beijing's response to the joint exercises of the navies of the United States, Japan, and South Korea. To help the reader understand the absurdity of this theatrical performance, I will cite a few facts from Defense-express.

“Even before the Chinese defense minister's visit, the Kremlin 'unexpectedly' conducted a readiness test of its Pacific Fleet. This was a kind of Beijing's response to the joint exercises of the navies of the United States, Japan, and South Korea.”

The average age of Russian Navy vessels is 30 years, and it includes 31 surface ships. Brezhnev, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, walked on some decks in the 1950s.

Russia's Pacific Fleet is inferior in size to Japan's much younger fleet, which has 50 large ships with an average age of 20 years.

It will be extremely difficult for the Russian flotilla to repel any attack, as only 5 of the 31 ships have appropriate air defense equipment. In the Sea of Okhotsk, the rest of the vessels are only targets for the aircraft of any likely enemy of the Russian Federation in the region.

Xi needs all these oceanic props to keep Japan in line.

Formally, China has long used North Korea for this purpose. However, Pyongyang's missile tests and aggressive statements still worry its neighbors, but no longer frighten them. Especially after the creation of the US-Japan-South Korea military fist.

Putin is supposed to pretend to be able to smash the Japanese 'military' to smithereens in response to any attempts to return 'native Japanese territories.' Or not even for an attempt, but even for the mere thought of it. I think China has set some more tasks for the Russians, and we will soon find out.

The more conflicts the Fuhrer creates, the fewer people will want to see him in the Kremlin.

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About the author. Orest Sokhar, journalist, Obozrevatel Editor-in-Chief. 

The editors don't always share the opinions expressed by the authors of the blogs.