Russian cruiser Varyag arrives in Qingdao for joint Sea‑2026 naval drills

The Russian Pacific Fleet’s Slava‑class cruiser Varyag entered the Chinese naval base at Qingdao, Shandong, on 5 July 2026, escorted by a tug. The ship is participating in the annual joint Sea‑2026 exercises with the People’s Liberation Army Navy, which will run for almost a week and include search‑and‑rescue, anti‑submarine, air‑defence and live‑fire artillery drills, followed by a joint maritime patrol in parts of the Pacific.

The visit follows high‑level meetings earlier in the year in which Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed more than 40 cooperation agreements. Officials said the exercises aim to address shared security challenges and maintain regional stability. Analysts note that Varyag, commissioned in 1989, relies on aging weapons such as P‑1000 supersonic cruise missiles and S‑300F air‑defence launchers, highlighting broader difficulties in modernising Russia’s surface fleet, which has seen little new construction since the Soviet era.