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The keel-laying ceremonies were held at the Sevmash plant in Severodvinsk, the Admiralty Shipyards in St Petersburg, and the Amur Shipbuilding Company in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Commemorative plaques were installed on the nuclear-powered cruiser submarines Knyaz Potyomkin and Dmitry Donskoy, the ocean-going submarines Mozhaisk and Yakutsk, corvettes Grozny and Buiny.

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Speech at the keel-laying ceremony

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, friends.

Congratulations to all shipbuilders and navy sailors of Russia on this new important stage in the development of the Russian Navy. We are launching construction of another series of modern warships.

Today, we are laying down two multi-purpose short-range ships in Komsomolsk-on-Amur and four long-range submarines at Sevmash and the Admiralty Shipyards.

We cherish the glorious traditions of the Russian Navy, preserving the succession of the continuous Russian history that goes back centuries. This is why the two new nuclear-powered cruiser submarines will be named Dmitry Donskoy and Knyaz Potyomkin, as a tribute to the memory and heroism of our outstanding ancestors.

The two long-range diesel submarines were named after the cities of Mozhaisk and Yakutsk. The two multi-purpose ships were given names that are typical in the Russian Navy, Grozny and Buiny.

I would like to stress that all the ships will be equipped with modern high-precision weapons, the latest navigation and communications equipment. The majority of these technologies proved their effectiveness during combat operations in Syria.

I have said it before and I will say it again: a strong sovereign Russia needs a powerful and balanced Navy. The Navy plays a key role in ensuring the security of our country and protecting our national interests. It makes a weighty contribution to strengthening strategic parity and international stability.

We will continue to develop Russia's naval potential, improve the naval base system and the fleet infrastructure, fit out the ships with the most advanced weapons and equipment, provide training for complicated battle missions during drills and long-distance voyages, and “demonstrate” the Russian flag in strategically important areas of the world ocean.

These important and major tasks are based on the geopolitical location of our country and its role in global affairs. The building of a cutting-edge, efficient Navy demands higher standards of the Russian shipbuilders.

I would like to thank everyone who is taking part in this huge and important work for our country, and thank the shipyard workers, engineers, and all your colleagues, employees in our design bureaus for the well-managed and coordinated work. Despite the pandemic restrictions, you have boosted the construction of contemporary ships and auxiliary vessels, and moreover, you accelerated the launch of the ships for the Navy when it was possible.

Over a period of the next few years, you will have quite a serious job to implement the state defence orders, to realise plans outlined in the state arms programme, so that in six years, in 2027, the share of contemporary ships in the Russian Navy reaches 70 percent.

I am sure that shipbuilders and navy sailors will continue to successfully perform the tasks at hand and do everything in their power to provide our Navy with contemporary ships and promote Russia’s position as a leading naval power.

I wish your teams new spectacular results. Thank you all very much for your work.

Please, colleagues.

(The keel-laying ceremony for the Navy’s warships.)

Friends, colleagues, comrades,

I congratulate you all on the major work to develop the Russian Navy. It is yet another step towards strengthening the security of the Russian state.

I am sure that workers, engineers and navy sailors who will be involved in the construction of new combat vessels will do a great job dealing with their tasks.

I wish you every success.

Thank you, and all the best.