Vladimir Putin visits a shipyard to supervise the commissioning of new nuclear submarines
The Russian president visited a shipyard in the Arkhangelsk region, northwest Russia, on Monday to witness the commissioning of new nuclear submarines, in the midst of the war in Ukraine, three days after he announced his intention to run for another term.
At the Sevmash shipyard, where he oversaw the raising of the navy flag on newly built submarines – theEmperor-Alexander-III and the Krasnoyarsk –, Vladimir Putin has notably committed to implementing plans to modernize the Russian navy. “These formidable missile carriers, without equivalent in their category, are entering service within our navy”he particularly welcomed, adding that “work to increase Russia’s maritime power will undoubtedly continue”. Mr Putin promised to strengthen Russia’s naval presence “in the Arctic, the Far East, the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Caspian Sea”.
L’Emperor-Alexander-III is the seventh atomic-powered Borei-class submarine to enter service. Each of them is equipped with sixteen nuclear-tipped Boulava intercontinental ballistic missiles. The Russian president announced that three more submarines of this type were under construction. They are part of Russia’s nuclear triad, which also includes land-based nuclear missiles and strategic bombers armed with nuclear warheads.
THE Krasnoyarsk is a nuclear-powered submarine of the new Iassen type. It is armed with cruise missiles and torpedoes and is designed to hunt enemy submarines, as well as attack land targets. Vladimir Putin said five more Iasen-class submarines were under construction.
In October, the Russian Parliament approved a surge in military spending, and Vladimir Putin ordered, at the beginning of December, to increase the number of Russian soldiers by 15%.