On July 25, President Vladimir Putin gave a rousing speech in St. Petersburg to mark the 325th anniversary of the founding of Russia’s navy. Speaking in front of a statue of the fleet’s founder (and Putin’s favorite tsar), Peter the Great, he declared, “Today, the Russian Navy has everything it needs to secure the defense of our native country and our national interests. We are capable of detecting any submarine, surface or airborne adversary and dealing them an imminent strike if necessary.”
Russia's War Against Ukraine
Foreign Affairs: Russia’s battle for the Black Sea
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) watches the joint drills by the Northern and Black Sea Fleets from onboard the cruiser Marshal Ustinov in the Black Sea off the coast of Crimea on Jan. 9, 2020.
