Map Shows Putin's Warships in Asia Amid War in Europe
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A map by Newsweek shows how President Vladimir Putin's Russia has been flexing its naval muscles in the Indo-Pacific region in recent months while Moscow's forces simultaneously wage war on Ukraine.
Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for further comment by email.
Why It Matters
Russia's Pacific Fleet sent a naval group to visit Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand and China from October to December 2024.
Two Russian corvettes, the Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov, left, and the Rezky are seen at Tanjung Perak port in Indonesia on November 4, 2024.
Two Russian corvettes, the Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov, left, and the Rezky are seen at Tanjung Perak port in Indonesia on November 4, 2024.
JUNI KRISWANTO/AFP via Getty Images
Meanwhile, strategic waterways like the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Strait of Malacca are located in the Indian Ocean, making it a key trade route as it accounts for one-third of the world's bulk cargo traffic and two-thirds of the world's oil shipments.
What To Know
In early February, the Russian navy dispatched two corvettes, the Rezky and the Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov, as well as the fleet oiler Pechenga, from their Far Eastern naval base in the city of Vladivostok for a deployment in the Asia-Pacific region.
This Russian naval task group later transited waters near Japan as it headed southward from the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea in South Korea, to the South China Sea, where the ships conducted air defense exercises.
In mid-February, the Russian ships reached the Indonesian island of Bali for a multilateral naval exercise codenamed Komodo-2025. Ships from the Russian Pacific Fleet previously took part in a bilateral maritime exercise with Indonesia in the archipelagic state in November last year.
Following the end of Komodo-2025, which ran from February 16 to 22, the Russian vessels continued their deployment in the Indian Ocean, where they joined the Maritime Security Belt-2025 drill at the Iranian port of Chabahar from March 10 to 11, along with ships from the Chinese and Iranian navies.
On March 15, the Russian flotilla reached Pakistan, a major non-NATO U.S. ally, becoming the first Russian naval ships to visit the Pakistani port of Karachi in four years. It later took part in the Arabian Monsoon-VI bilateral drill in the North Arabian Sea with Pakistan's navy.
The next stop for the Russian task group was Chennai in India, where they made a port call from March 26 to April 10. During the visit, the Russian ships took part in the Indra Navy-2025 joint exercise with their Indian counterparts in nearby waters.
After concluding the visit to India, the Rezky, the Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov, and the Pechenga visited Chittagong in Bangladesh from April 12 to 14. It was unclear whether they will conduct further port calls or exercises during the deployment.
What People Are Saying
Alexey Kupriyanov, head of Center of the Indo-Pacific Region at the Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said: "Since India's focus is primarily on the eastern part of the [Indian Ocean], Russian ships in the western part could help fill the vacuum of security there. This will reduce the need for East African countries to seek help from China and the U.S. to combat pirates, smugglers and drug traffickers."
Japan's defense white paper 2024 read: "Russia has been conducting intensive military activities in the Far East encompassing the Northern Territories, while continuing its aggression against Ukraine. Russia has also been observed engaging in joint activities with China involving aircraft and vessels."
The Northern Territories, also known as the Southern Kuril Islands in Russia, are a group of four islands ruled by Moscow captured from Japan following the end of World War II.
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether the Russian naval task group will execute any joint operations with the Chinese navy during its homebound voyage. The two navies conducted a series of bilateral military maneuvers in the Pacific Ocean last year, including exercises and patrols.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ukrainian boxer Usyk invites Trump to his home to see Russia's war firsthand, BBC reports
Unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk invited U.S. President Donald Trump to live for a week in his house in Ukraine during a June 8 interview with BBC Sport. Trump has pledged to negotiate an end to Russia's war against Ukraine, but after six months in office a ceasefire remains nowhere in sight. Trump has threatened to abandon the peace process altogether and even suggested Ukraine is to blame for Russia's intensifying aerial attacks. Usyk said he would welcome Trump to visit his home in Ukraine to experience the realities of the war firsthand. "I advise American President Donald Trump, go to Ukraine and live in my house one week. Only one week ... Watch what's going on every night," he told BBC Sport. "Every night, bombs fly above my house. Bomb, rocket, Shahed. Every night." Usyk's appeal to Trump comes after multiple large-scale Russian attacks against Ukrainian cities. Originally from Crimea, Usyk now resides in Kyiv, the target of several drone and missile strikes in late May and early June. Russia has broken its nightly drone record repeatedly in the last two weeks and U.S. officials have warned Ukraine to expect more mass strikes in the coming days. While Trump initially criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin after a series of consecutive attacks against Ukrainian cities in late May, he did not follow through on threats to sanction Moscow. Trump has since attempted to delay and soften a U.S. Senate bill imposing harsher sanctions against Russia and has even threatened to possibly sanction Ukraine. Usyk has previously directed public comments to Trump while advocating for Ukraine. During the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Usyk took to social media to urge Trump to use his purported influence over Putin to help free Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs). Usyk has held the title of unified heavyweight champion since 2021. Before his professional boxing career, he was a gold medalist at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Read also: US expects Russia's retaliation for Operation Spiderweb to continue soon We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The Hill
3 hours ago
- The Hill
Rand Paul slams Graham's push for Russian sanctions as ‘self-defeating economic warfare'
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) slammed Sen. Lindsey Graham's (R-S.C.) push for Russian sanctions, calling his bill 'self-defeating economic warfare.' Graham's sanctions bill on Russia would impose a 500 percent tariff on imports from any country that buys Russian oil, gas, uranium and other products. The legislation has more than 80 co-sponsors in the Senate, potentially making it veto-proof. But GOP senators are waiting on President Trump to move ahead with the legislation, and Trump said this week he hasn't even looked at it. Trump has also said he doesn't want to undermine the chances of a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. Paul, in a series of posts on X on Saturday, said the bill would be ineffective and backfire against efforts to achieve peace, as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues in its fourth year. 'The Graham bill would derail President Trump's efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. Self-defeating economic warfare is no way to achieve peace,' Paul said on X. 'This bill won't force China or India to change behavior, but it will impose an effective embargo on ourselves that will hurt American families,' he said. Paul also argued that the bill could hurt U.S. allies and raise gas prices. 'The Graham bill could raise tariffs on allies like Israel and Taiwan to 500 percent and potentially even higher. Why are we punishing our friends while pretending it'll hold Russia accountable? This isn't strategy—it's economic self-sabotage,' he wrote. 'Cutting off Russian oil takes a major source of supply off the market, resulting in higher gas prices. Analysts warned that a U.S. ban on Russian oil could cause prices to hit $160–$200 a barrel. That's $5+ gas at the pump,' he said. Graham, this past week, sought to address some of those concerns by proposing a carveout for his bill to exempt countries that aid in Ukraine's defense. The carveout could help insulate countries in Europe that still import Russian gas and have provided military support for Ukraine, as well as other U.S. partners that have straddled the line between maintaining ties with Moscow and providing assistance to Kyiv. 'A lot of countries still buy Russian oil and gas but less. Some European countries still have relationships with Russia, but they've been very helpful to Ukraine. So I want to carve them out,' Graham told reporters Wednesday. 'I tell China, if you don't want to have a 500 percent tariff, help Ukraine.'
Newsweek
5 hours ago
- Newsweek
Kamala Harris Says LA Protest 'Overwhelmingly Peaceful' Calls Trump 'Cruel'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Former Vice President Kamala Harris defended the "overwhelmingly peaceful" protesters in Los Angeles while criticizing President Donald Trump's deployment of National Guard troops as a "dangerous escalation" and "cruel" on the third consecutive day of violent clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement. Harris' statement notably did not condemn the violence that has characterized the ongoing demonstrations, marking a stark contrast with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass's explicit condemnation of destructive behavior. Taking to social media, Mayor Bass posted a statement on Friday, saying, "This morning we received reports of federal immigration enforcement actions in multiple locations in Los Angeles." "As Mayor of a proud city of immigrants, who contribute to our city in so many ways, I am deeply angered by what has taken place," Bass said. "These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city. My office is in close coordination with immigrant rights community organizations. We will not stand for this." The protests, which began last week in response to federal immigration enforcement operations by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), have escalated into sustained confrontations involving rock-throwing, alleged Molotov cocktails, burning vehicles, and arrests across multiple Los Angeles locations. My statement on what's unfolding in Los Angeles. — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) June 8, 2025 This is a developing story and will be updated when more information is available.
