SURABAYA (Sputnik) - The navies of Russia and Indonesia will hold the first ever joint exercises codenamed "Orruda 2024," they will be held in the port of the Indonesian city of Surabaya and the Java Sea.
First Time Ever
In August, it was announced that the Navy of Indonesia and the Russian Navy would conduct bilateral exercises in Surabaya, the province of East Java. The exercises were called
"Orruda 2024." They will last from November 4 to 8.
These will be
the first bilateral exercises of Indonesian and Russian navies since Indonesia gained independence from Dutch colonial rule 79 years ago.
Two Birds
The codename of the exercises is of unusual origin — it consists of the names of two birds:
the Russian eagle and
the Indonesian mythical bird of Garuda, the embodiment of strength and courage. Thus, the composite name "Orruda" reflects the intention of the countries to conduct the drills
"wing to the wing."
Pacific Fleet Arrival
On Sunday, a detachment of ships of
the Pacific Fleet of the Russian Navy made a friendly entry to the port of Tanjung Perak in Surabaya. The detachment included the
corvettes Gromkiy, Rezkiy, Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov and support ship Pechenga.
Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Sergey Tolchenov took part in the ceremony of the meeting of ships in Surabaya. Russian ships were welcomed by representatives of the command of the Indonesian Navy, and local dancers performed a traditional dance.