Russia: Putin announces further fleet upgrade

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the restructuring and further rearmament of the naval forces during the acceptance of a major naval exercise. Two marine brigades would be converted into divisions by the end of the year, and another three soon, Putin said. "This will enormously increase the fleet's striking power and combat capabilities," he said. According to official figures, more than 150 warships and supply ships, 120 aircraft and helicopters, and more than 15,000 troops participated in the five-day exercise, which concluded on Sunday, Russia's "Naval Day." The military exercises took place simultaneously in the Baltic, Arctic, Pacific, and Caspian Seas. According to Moscow, the aim of the exercise is to ward off a large-scale naval attack. The Kremlin accuses NATO of endangering Russia's security. The Western military alliance has also already held a naval exercise this year: Baltops 2025. According to official figures, around 50 ships and approximately 9,000 soldiers took part in the exercise in June. Russia began invading Ukraine in 2022 on Putin's orders. Moscow has so far failed to achieve its officially articulated war aims, including the conquest of four Ukrainian regions. The Black Sea Fleet, which has been particularly heavily involved in the war, has suffered heavy losses during this time and lost its flagship, the missile cruiser Moskva . In early July, Mikhail Gudkov, the deputy commander of the naval infantry, was killed in a Ukrainian missile attack in the Kursk region. In a video message, Putin now described the fleet as "the pride and achievement of the Fatherland." The naval parade planned for Naval Day was canceled for security reasons, unlike the military exercise. Naval Forces Day is a beautiful holiday, "but it is right that we spend the holiday in a combat and working atmosphere, with everyone in their place and the fleet demonstrating its combat potential and quality," Putin said. The Kremlin chief followed most of the naval maneuvers via video transmission from the Admiralty in St. Petersburg.