Russia proposes naval drills with Caspian littoral states

Russia has proposed hosting joint naval exercises in the Caspian Sea in 2026, Report cites Russian media.

The proposal was announced by Admiral Alexander Moiseyev, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, during a meeting in St. Petersburg with naval commanders from Caspian littoral states - Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, and Kazakhstan.

According to Moiseyev, the planned multilateral exercise would focus on ensuring the security of maritime navigation and offshore economic infrastructure in the Caspian Sea. It would also include coordinated search and rescue operations in the region's waters.

Additionally, Russia proposed restarting expert-level meetings among the participating navies to finalize and sign a five-party Memorandum of Understanding on naval cooperation in the Caspian Sea.

The Russian Ministry of Defense noted that the meeting participants discussed issues related to navigational and hydrographic support and ways to enhance practical cooperation between Caspian naval forces.