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Putin says Russia plans to ‘comprehensively upgrade’ its navy

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Putin says Russia plans to ‘comprehensively upgrade’ its navy

Russia has been working hard to bolster its naval capabilities, the country’s leader Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

“A lot has been done in this area, as our navy is getting new ships,” Putin said during a meeting on shipbuilding issues, according to Russian state media outlet TASS.

Russia’s navy is set to receive more than 40 ships and boats this year, said Putin. This exceeds the 33 and 24 vessels it received in 2023 and 2022, respectively.

The boost in naval capacity, Putin said, is part of Russia’s wider plans to “comprehensively upgrade the navy, including its ship, aircraft, and coastal components, as well as the infrastructure of bases.”

He added that the upgrades to Russia’s navy will “strengthen its positions in the strategically crucial areas of the world ocean” and “drastically improve its combat potential.”

The move would certainly provide a boost to Russia’s navy, which has weathered significant losses ever since the country invaded Ukraine in 2022.

In February, the head of the UK’s armed forces, Adm. Sir Tony Radakin, said that 25% of Russia’s vessels in the Black Sea had been “sunk or damaged” by Ukraine.

“Putin’s continued illegal occupation of Ukraine is exacting a massive cost on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, which is now functionally inactive,” UK defense secretary Grant Shapps said a month later.

Russia’s defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI sent outside regular business hours.

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