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U.S. Deploys Destroyer to Shadow Sino-Russian Naval Flotilla Near Alaska

The Carl M. Levin’s deployment reflects Washington’s push to track the routine annual patrol after its resupply in Kamchatka.

Russian and Chinese naval vessels take part in a naval war game near Vladivostok, Russia, on September 15, 2024.
The United States destroyer USS Carl M. Levin conducts operations in the North Pacific Ocean on August 12, 2025.
Chinese and Russian warships take part in a joint naval exercise in the East China Sea on December 27, 2022.

Overview

  • The flotilla made a port call for resupply at Avacha Bay in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky this week, positioning its warships roughly 575 miles from Alaska’s Attu Island.
  • Key vessels in the task force include the PLA Navy’s destroyer CNS Shaoxing, its supply ship CNS Qiandaohu and Russia’s destroyer Admiral Tributs.
  • Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force shadowed intelligence-gathering ships Kurily and CNS Yuhengxing as they transited the Tsugaru, Osumi and Soya straits, confirming they remained in international waters.
  • The U.S. Third Fleet dispatched USS Carl M. Levin to operations near the Aleutian Islands to bolster maritime homeland defense and monitor the flotilla’s advance.
  • Officials in Beijing and Moscow describe the operation as a routine annual exercise for surveillance and protecting economic interests; the flotilla’s next course—toward the Bering Sea or back south near Japan—remains unconfirmed.