MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin attended a televised flag-raising ceremony for two nuclear submarines, emphasizing their role in a strategic effort to enhance Russian naval power. The event took place at the Sevmash shipbuilding yard in the northern city of Severodvinsk.
The submarines unveiled by Putin are the Krasnoyarsk and Emperor Alexander the Third. Both nuclear-powered vessels are set to join the Pacific fleet soon. Putin underscored that these submarines are part of two distinct series that Russia is actively deploying, intending to strengthen the combat readiness of the Russian Navy in key strategic areas worldwide.
“We will quantitatively strengthen the combat readiness of the Russian Navy, our naval power in the Arctic, the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea, and the Caspian Sea – the most important strategic areas of the world’s oceans,” Putin declared during the ceremony.
Russian Navy’s Nuclear Submarines
The Emperor Alexander III is part of Russia’s new Borei class of nuclear submarines, representing the first new generation launched since the Cold War. Last month, the defense ministry confirmed the vessel’s successful testing of a nuclear-capable Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile.
The Krasnoyarsk belongs to the Yasen class of multi-purpose submarines, equipped with long-range, high-precision missiles capable of striking both sea and land targets.
Putin’s focus on bolstering Russia’s nuclear capabilities, particularly its new generation of weapons, has become a recurring theme. The emphasis on nuclear arms as a deterrent to the West has intensified since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine, where Russian conventional forces are engaged in a prolonged war. Putin recently announced his intention to seek another presidential term in the upcoming March election.
