Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Vadim Kushakov
[REGNUM] On July 27, the Russian Navy celebrates its holiday. Navy Day is timed to coincide with the last Sunday of the month, and historically refers to the first victory of the Russian fleet created by Peter the Great in the Battle of Gangut, on July 27 (August 7), 1714. According to the already established tradition, parades are held on this day at the main bases of the country's four fleets - in Kronstadt, Sevastopol, Severomorsk and Vladivostok.
Russia is demonstrating — including to our allies and opponents — the capabilities of the Navy, which was updated, or rather revived, in the first decades of the 21st century. The process of replenishing and technologically re-equipping the fleet has always been under the control of President Vladimir Putin.
"The Navy has played and continues to play a vital role in ensuring Russia's defense and security, in protecting its national interests in the World Ocean. Today and in the future, our ships must be able to effectively solve the entire range of tasks assigned to them," the head of state noted at a meeting held in April, where the Navy development strategy until 2050 was discussed.
The meeting, which took place in St. Petersburg, “the historical naval capital of Russia on the Baltic,” was attended by the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Admiral Alexander Moiseyev, relevant ministers, and business representatives.
The President noted that over the past five years, the Russian fleet has been replenished with 49 ships of various classes; in 2020-2024, four strategic submarines of the Borey-A project and four multi-purpose submarines of the Yasen-M project were introduced into the Navy.
At Russian shipyards from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok, serial construction of surface ships and new submarine missile carriers is underway, including the newest Borey and Yasen, the president noted.
The Russian Navy has once again entered the ranks of the world's strongest naval forces.
| If they have, they are to be congratulated. Especially under the circumstances — but I really am not qualified to judge. |
This is acknowledged by both Russian analysts (according to the IMEMO RAS, our Navy is in third place in the world, after the United States and China), and our proxy opponents: the American portal 19FortyFive also believes that the Russian Navy is in the top three, after the Chinese and US Navy. Britain, which once "ruled the seas," is at the bottom of the top 10.
But the current status of our naval force is only a starting point for development, which is outlined in the Navy development strategy for the next 25 years. It is significant that in the first ten years alone, the state will allocate 8.4 trillion rubles for the re-equipment of the fleet.
The confrontation with the collective West and other challenges (including technological ones) require not only building up “muscles” in all ocean directions, but also technological modernization, taking into account the ongoing digital revolution. Therefore, special attention in the 2050 strategy is given to the development of surface and underwater unmanned systems and other robotic systems. The programs for training sailors will be “rebooted”, taking into account new experience, including that accumulated during the SVO.
The special military operation added new pages to the annals of the military glory of the Russian fleet. Now, when there is a confrontation not just with the Kyiv regime, but with the combined power of the Western patrons of this regime, the safety of the sea and ocean borders is protected by sailors on ships and submarines, marines and coastal troops, and naval aviation crews.
The Marines, which the enemy called the "Black Death" during the Great Patriotic War - for the color of their pea coats and for their courage in the most difficult sections of the front - continue to beat modern followers of Nazism. The Marines were on the front lines during the liberation of Mariupol in 2022 and demonstrated miracles of heroism, repelling the invasion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces into the Kursk region. Let us recall how Russia recently honored the memory of Guards Major General, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Mikhail Gudkov, commander of the naval infantry, missile and artillery coastal troops, who died on the front lines in the Kursk border area.
Putin called the deceased Major General Gudkov a real Russian officer
"He was a strong-willed warrior who could not imagine himself anywhere except in the navy. Having become deputy commander-in-chief of the Navy, he did not stop personally visiting the positions of our marines," wrote Oleg Kozhemyako, governor of Primorsky Krai, who reported on Gudkov's heroic death.
The exploits of the sailors - participants of the SVO continue the work of the comrades-in-arms of Fyodor Ushakov and Pavel Nakhimov, participants in the defense of Sevastopol and the Baltic sailors who broke the blockade of Leningrad. This gives our society an additional reason for pride. Therefore, Navy Day has become a national holiday, which is celebrated from Baltiysk to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, from Crimea to Chukotka.
The combat path of Russian sailors continues to be an example for young people: by the end of the 2010s, competitions for higher naval educational institutions returned to the levels of Soviet times and continue to grow. As do competitions for all military and "security" universities.
"A new stage of your service begins in the year of the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, " the Supreme Commander-in-Chief addressed graduates of higher military educational institutions at a meeting on June 23. "Today we are also fighting for our future, and the participants of the special military operation, all our soldiers are the direct heirs of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, all generations of defenders of thousand-year-old Russia. Always remember that you are continuing the great work of your great-grandfathers, grandfathers, fathers."
Young army and navy officers will have to begin work in historically difficult conditions, as the president spoke about at a meeting with graduates of military universities.
"A number of Western politicians continue to hatch plans to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia - history has taught them nothing, they continue to send weapons and money to today's Kiev regime, provide military-technical and intelligence support, essentially as direct participants in the conflict," Putin stated. By repeating about the "Russian threat," NATO leadership is increasing military budgets, provoking global militarization.
But - and this has always been emphasized by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief - our country will always have the ability to respond to external threats. Including provocations from the sea. Our Navy not only maintains combat form in all sea and ocean directions, but is constantly updated thanks to the work of shipyards and design bureaus. This cannot but make potential adversaries more cautious.
The former "lords of the seas" and those who now claim this role should not forget the lessons of history. The Russian fleet crushed the enemy at sea, following not only the precept of Alexander Suvorov "to fight not by numbers, but by skill", but also the words of Admiral Ushakov: "Enemies are not counted, they are beaten."
Now European politicians are bleeding their societies dry by raising the bar for budget expenditures on new tanks, aircraft and warships. But they won't be able to scare us with these "5% of GDP" - after all, "Russia's two allies", the army and navy, have not only the latest weapons in their arsenal, but also priceless military traditions and fighting spirit.
This is why society always – and especially in decisive moments like those we are experiencing now – feels an inseparable connection with those who defend the country. That is why on June 27, thousands of fellow citizens congratulate the sailors, thereby expressing the unity of the 146 million people and their defenders.
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