Russia and China start naval exercises in Sea of Japan, agencies report

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia and China started naval exercises in the Sea of Japan on Saturday, Russian news agencies cited Russia's Pacific Fleet as saying.

"A joint detachment of warships of the Pacific Fleet and Chinese Navy set out from Vladivostok to conduct the joint Russian-Chinese "Beibu/Interaction - 2024" naval exercise," the RIA news agency quoted the Pacific Fleet as saying.

The exercises will include anti-aircraft and anti-submarine weapons, RIA reported.

Russia and China practised missile and artillery firing this month as part of Ocean-2024 naval drills, which Russian President Vladimir Putin cast as a bid to counter the United States in the Pacific.

(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Alexander Marrow; Editing by Andrew Heavens)