According to the source, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar and Brunei provided warships or aircraft, with the Philippines participating as a virtual observer.

The drills, which are being conducted on one of the world’s most important shipping lanes, will continue until Saturday.

This exercise is about peace, stability and prosperity in the region, Russia’s ambassador to the bloc, Alexander Ivanov, said in a statement.

For his part, Indonesia’s first fleet commander, Arsyad Abdullah, noted that the exercise “will enhance interoperability and understanding between the Russian and ASEAN armies.”

The 10-nation bloc previously conducted joint drills with the United States and Chinese navies, while Indonesia and the US held their largest annual military exercise, known as Garuda Shield, in August.

However, ASEAN remains a non-aligned group, and its ultimate goal to maintain stability in the region, threatened recently by disputes between foreign powers.

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