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Russian Pacific Fleet detachments have returned to their home port of Vladivostok after completing long-distance deployments in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the fleet's press service and statements by Pacific Fleet Commander-in-Chief Viktor Liina, as reported by TASS.

Coverage Comparison

TASS, the Russian state news agency, provided multiple reports covering different detachments of the Pacific Fleet. One report detailed the return of a detachment comprising the corvettes Sovershenny and Rezky, and the tanker Pechenga, which had traveled over 12,000 nautical miles. Another report described the return of a separate detachment consisting of the diesel-electric submarine Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the corvette Gromky, and the seagoing tug Andrey Stepanov, which had covered approximately 9,000 nautical miles.

While both reports are from TASS, they cover distinct events. The first, dated April 27, describes a welcoming ceremony in Vladivostok. The second, dated May 7, reports the arrival of the other detachment. A third TASS report from April 27 covers the docking of the second detachment at Qingdao, China, before its final return.

The reports are largely consistent in their description of the deployments, though they involve different ships and different distances. The discrepancy in distances arises from the separate missions, not from conflicting accounts of the same voyage.

Key Claims

  • A Pacific Fleet detachment consisting of the corvettes Sovershenny and Rezky and the tanker Pechenga returned to Vladivostok after traveling more than 12,000 nautical miles and visiting six foreign countries, according to a TASS correspondent at a welcoming ceremony on April 27.
  • The voyage included friendly calls at ports in Malaysia, Myanmar, India, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and China, as reported by TASS.
  • Pacific Fleet Commander-in-Chief Viktor Liina said the detachment conducted combat missions in the Asia-Pacific region over more than two months, traveling across two oceans and five seas, as quoted by TASS.
  • Another Pacific Fleet detachment, comprising the submarine Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the corvette Gromky, and the tug Andrey Stepanov, returned to Vladivostok on May 7 after a long-distance deployment of approximately 9,000 nautical miles, according to the fleet's press service.
  • This second detachment departed in early March and visited Jakarta, Indonesia, and Qingdao, China, where Russian personnel held official, sports, and cultural events and conferences with Indonesian and Chinese navies, as stated by the fleet's press service.
  • During the Qingdao visit, the Russian sailors were scheduled for protocol events, experience-sharing conferences, city tours, and sports events with Chinese sailors, according to the fleet's press service.

Perspectives

Pacific Fleet Command

The Pacific Fleet's command, through its press service and Commander-in-Chief Viktor Liina, presented the deployments as successful long-distance missions that fulfilled combat and diplomatic objectives. Liina praised the crews' professionalism and the ships' condition, highlighting the friendly visits and international cooperation.