Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to comprehensively restructure and upgrade his country’s navy by the end of the year. During a large-scale military exercise on Navy Day, he announced plans to fundamentally strengthen the structure and combat capabilities of the fleet. NATO will also have to upgrade its forces in response.

“The Russian Navy is the pride and achievement of our motherland,” Putin said in a recent video message. “We will significantly expand its striking power and operational capability.” A key point here is that two existing marine infantry brigades are to be expanded into divisions this year, with three more to follow soon. This restructuring is intended to noticeably increase the fleet’s operational strike power.

Large-scale maneuvers with 150 ships and 15,000 soldiers

The Kremlin chief’s appearance took place as part of a massive naval maneuver that lasted five days. According to official figures, 150 warships and supply vessels, 120 aircraft and helicopters, and more than 15,000 soldiers were involved. The exercises were conducted simultaneously in four sea areas: the Baltic Sea, the Pacific Ocean, the Caspian Sea, and Arctic waters.

The exercise – described by Moscow as a “defense against a large-scale attack from the sea” – is seen as a direct response to NATO’s increasing activities in the Baltic region. In June, the Western alliance itself conducted a large-scale naval exercise called “Baltops 2025” involving 50 ships and 9,000 soldiers.

Reaction to losses in the Ukraine war

Putin’s modernization course is no coincidence. The war in Ukraine has hit the Russian navy hard, especially in the Black Sea. The Black Sea Fleet lost its flagship, the missile cruiser Moskva, a bitter symbolic and strategic setback. In addition, Vice Admiral Mikhail Gudkov, a high-ranking naval officer, was killed in a Ukrainian missile attack in the Kursk region in early July.

Unlike in previous years, the president did not watch the maneuvers from a parade boat, but mostly via video transmission from the Admiralty in Saint Petersburg. The traditional fleet parade on Navy Day was canceled at short notice, officially for security reasons.

Combat readiness

“Navy Day is a solemn occasion, but it is appropriate to celebrate it in an atmosphere of operational readiness,” said Vladimir Putin. “Everyone is at their posts. The fleet is demonstrating its combat potential and quality.”

With the announced reform and modernization, the Kremlin chief apparently also wants to send a domestic political signal: Despite international sanctions and growing losses, Russia wants to maintain its claim to global maritime power.

Credits: APA