General Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, reportedly contacted General Charles Q. Brown, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, on November 27. The call, initiated at Russia’s request, focused on Russian naval drills in the Mediterranean and broader global and regional security issues, including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
General Gerasimov provided advance notice of a live-fire naval exercise in the eastern Mediterranean involving hypersonic and cruise missile tests. The drills, which lasted three days, featured two Russian frigates launching Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles, a submarine firing Kalibr cruise missiles, and an Onyx missile launched from a ground-based system.
🚨 Russia conducted a naval exercise yesterday in the eastern Mediterranean, featuring the Zircon hypersonic missile launched from the frigate Admiral Gorshkov.
— The exercise involved 1,000 personnel, 10 ships and 24 aircraft testing Kalibr cruise missiles from submarines and… pic.twitter.com/JC6WkikPrJ
— Abdul khabir jamily (@JamilKhabir396) December 4, 2024
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the purpose of the notification was to “prevent possible incidents” given the proximity of U.S. and NATO naval forces in the area. The Pentagon confirmed the call, describing it as a deconfliction effort typical before significant military activities to avoid miscalculations that could escalate tensions.
The call also touched on the war in Ukraine, a topic that has seen significantly reduced dialogue between Moscow and Washington since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. During the conversation, Gerasimov reportedly clarified that Russia’s recent Oreshnik missile strike on Ukraine’s Dnipro region was pre-planned and unrelated to U.S. decisions allowing Ukraine to use longer-range missiles.
While specifics of the Ukraine discussion remain classified, the Pentagon characterized the conversation as professional and focused on reducing the risk of miscalculation. It was the first contact between the two generals since Brown assumed his role in October 2023.
The call represents a rare moment of direct military dialogue between the U.S. and Russia, which have sharply curtailed communications since the escalation of hostilities in Ukraine. Historically, such exchanges have been used to prevent accidental confrontations, as was common during the Cold War. However, unlike those periods, current communications have been sporadic and largely focused on immediate deconfliction rather than broader strategic discussions.
The Pentagon disclosed that Gerasimov requested the call remain unannounced at the time it occurred. The reason for this request remains unclear, though it reflects the sensitivity of U.S.-Russia communications amid their adversarial relationship. The call was only acknowledged days later, on November 30, after the drills concluded.
