Russia’s military will dispatch naval and air forces to join an exercise held by China in the Sea of Japan and Sea of Okhotsk this month, China’s official Xinhua news agency reports, citing the country’s defence ministry.
The drills aim to deepen “the level of strategic coordination between the Chinese and Russian militaries and enhance their ability to jointly respond to security threats”, Xinhua said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has a strong relationship with Russia – China buys Russia’s oil and sends so-called “dual use” machinery and semi-conductors to the country.
Vladimir Putin held talks with Mr Xi in Beijing earlier this year, and thanked him for China’s efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict.
Meanwhile, Russia’s defence ministry has said its forces have taken the town of Novohrodivka, which lies around seven miles from Pokrovsk, an important rail and road hub for Ukrainian forces in the area.
And Yuri Podolyaka, an influential Ukrainian-born, pro-Russian military blogger, published maps showing Russian forces attacking beyond Novohrodivka in at least two places less than four miles from Pokrovsk.
Ukraine has not commented on the Russian claims.
The general staff of the Ukrainian military, in a report issued on Sunday evening, gave details of fighting throughout the Pokrovsk sector, including Novohrodivka.
It said 29 attempted Russian advances had been repelled, with seven skirmishes continuing.
“Our troops are taking measures to maintain designated positions,” it said.
But a Ukrainian officer last week told the US-funded Radio Liberty that Ukrainian forces had abandoned Novohrodivka on grounds the positions there were not favourable for defending it.
Vladimir Putin said last week that Ukraine’s invasion into the Russian region of Kursk had failed to slow Russia’s own advance in eastern Ukraine and had weakened Kyiv’s defences.
But Ukraine’s top military commander said on Thursday that Kyiv’s move was working.
