On Dec. 9, according to a Russian Defense Ministry statement, Russian Tu-95MS cruise missile carrier aircraft and Chinese H-6K bombers flew a joint patrol as part of the two countries’ military cooperation plan for 2025. They flew “over the waters of the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea and the western part of the Pacific Ocean,” the statement said. “The duration of the joint flight of Russian and Chinese aircraft was about 8 hours. Along the entire joint patrol route, Russian Su-30sm, Su-35s and Chinese J-16 fighter aircraft were provided the air cover. At certain stages of the route, the strategic missile carriers were accompanied by fighters from foreign countries.”