OREANDA-NEWS Russian, Chinese and Iranian warships fired at surface and air targets as part of the Maritime Security Belt 2024 exercise in the Gulf of Oman, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

"The warships of the three countries fired large-caliber machine guns and small-caliber naval artillery at surface and air targets simulating unmanned naval and aerial vehicles," the report says.

The Varyag cruiser representing Russia and the Marshal Shaposhnikov frigate also practiced joint tactical maneuvering and conducted communication training with Chinese and Iranian colleagues, the Russian Defense Ministry informed.

"Today, the participants of the exercise will have to work out an episode on the release of a ship captured by pirates with the involvement of helicopters and the landing of inspection groups," the ministry added.

The Varyag missile cruiser is the flagship of the Russian Pacific Fleet. Marshal Shaposhnikov is a frigate of the Pacific Fleet, which after modernization became the carrier of Kalibr missiles (a family of Russian cruise missiles developed by the OKB Novator, JSC Concern East Kazakhstan Region Almaz-Antey).