A military exercise resulted in the destruction of four Haiyan-class frigates and a 25,000-ton Kirov-class nuclear-powered cruiser! The combined military strength of Ukraine and Russia was truly terrifying! Even those who weren't from these countries felt a sense of shock and sorrow…
As two tugboats departed, only the massive nuclear-powered cruiser and the wreckage of the four frigates remained on the sea.
At that moment, the captain turned to glance at Mavi before saying, "Mr. Mavi, the 533mm torpedo is ready to launch at any time."
Hearing this, Mavi nodded slightly and spoke calmly, "It's getting late. Let's do it now."
As soon as he finished speaking, the captain picked up his radio and issued orders to the crew.
"All units, prepare—5!"
"4!"
"3!"
"2!"
"1!"
"Torpedo, fire!"
The moment the countdown reached "1," a massive, heavy torpedo—more than half a meter wide and over seven meters long—shot out from the destroyer's torpedo launch tube.
It glided through the air in a brief arc before plunging into the sea, speeding rapidly toward the distant nuclear-powered cruiser.
About 20 seconds later, the once calm sea erupted with a massive wave! The turbulence grew more intense, as if an underwater volcano had erupted beneath the ship! The entire sea surface was instantly thrown into chaos.
The surging seawater foamed white, propelled skyward by the terrifying impact and water pressure from the torpedo explosion.
In an instant, the nuclear-powered cruiser violently shook from the explosion! The massive vessel, under the force of the shockwave, was visibly lifted upward as if a deep-sea beast were pulling it from below.
Unlike missiles, heavy torpedoes don't create fiery explosions filled with black smoke. Instead, they detonate beneath the ship, amplifying their destructive power due to the pressure of the water. This makes the damage even more devastating!
It took a full five seconds for the deafening explosion to reach Mavi's location in the captain's quarters.
The massive shockwave spread from the blast point at a speed visible to the naked eye. Combined with the earlier explosion, the entire scene was breathtaking—like a terrifying yet awe-inspiring masterpiece. Those witnessing it couldn't help but feel a deep sense of reverence, subconsciously lowering their posture in response…
"This… this is truly shocking…"
The Chinese naval officers who had observed the entire event were all stunned as they stared at the scene before them.
A 25,000-ton nuclear-powered cruiser had been utterly devastated by a single 533mm torpedo. The sheer power was terrifying… If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they wouldn't have believed that Soviet torpedoes possessed such incredible destructive force.
---
After concluding this world-shaking joint military exercise, Mavi followed protocol by dispatching three to five fishing boats to retrieve the fish that had been killed or stunned by the explosions in the Black Sea.
As for the shipwrecks and debris, a specialized team was responsible for the cleanup.
Two photographers aboard a helicopter captured the entire exercise with high-definition cameras.
Once the film was developed and the photos were processed, they would be submitted to the authorities for review. Some images would be selected for publication in Ukrainian and Russian newspapers, and perhaps even authorized for release to international media outlets.
The next morning, newspapers featuring reports on the Ukrainian-Russian naval joint exercise appeared throughout the streets of Russia and Ukraine.
By the second and third days, news of the event spread even further. Not only Ukrainian and Russian media but also Chinese and American newspapers rushed to publish the story.
Xinmin Evening News: "Ukraine and Russia held a joint military exercise in the Black Sea two days ago! The exercise is said to have been arranged in honor of the visiting Chinese Navy…"
People's Daily: "Just two days ago, Ukraine and Russia conducted a joint military exercise in the Black Sea, deploying four Sovremenny-class destroyers and twelve Grisha-class frigates! The scale was truly impressive!"
---
In addition to the widely circulated newspapers, selected photographs from the exercise were also uploaded to the internet. They quickly spread across major forums and websites, leaving both domestic and international netizens in shock. Many were left speechless, staring at their screens in disbelief.
"Holy crap! The Russian and Ukrainian navies are this insane!? They blew up four Haiyan-class frigates and a Kirov-class nuclear-powered cruiser in a military exercise? What other country is this reckless!?" A Chinese netizen posted in a forum, nearly dropping his jaw in shock.
"My God! What am I witnessing? Russian heavy torpedoes are insane! A 26,000-ton cruiser taken down with a single torpedo… This is downright terrifying!" wrote an American netizen.
Many others were equally stunned. In their entire lives, they had never seen a military exercise this "aggressive" before…
---
As he read through the online comments, Mavi, the mastermind behind this joint military exercise, found the experience rather satisfying. Only high-ranking officials in the Ukrainian and Russian military knew that it was all thanks to him.
Meanwhile, the returning Chinese Navy officers reported their observations in the Black Sea to their homeland.
Among their reports were details about the Varyag aircraft carrier, which was 67% complete at the Black Sea Shipyard, as well as the Project 956 Sovremenny-class destroyer they had traveled on.
Mavi was determined to secure the best possible deal for these two types of warships.
If the opportunity arose, he even hoped to secretly transfer relevant technologies related to aircraft carriers and modern destroyers to his allies in a highly discreet and appropriate manner.
At that time, China's navy desperately needed Ukrainian and Russian technological support. If Mavi could facilitate this, it could lead to a powerful military alliance in the future.
With such an alliance in place, Japan and South Korea wouldn't dare to make a sound in the face of its might…
Of course, this was something that would take time to develop. It couldn't happen overnight. It had to be done safely and covertly to avoid detection by foreign intelligence agencies and spies.
Once the alliance was established, even the United States might hesitate to provoke it. (In this timeline, the U.S. was still relatively friendly to the world and hadn't yet assumed the role of the "world police.")
---
After reading through the news and online discussions, Mavi was about to celebrate his Russian identity's birthday—the official birth date of "Russian Mavi."
(End of Chapter)