Official website of the President of Russia

Transcripts   /

Following the ceremony, the President inspected the weapons systems of the frigate Admiral Golovko and signed the distinguished visitors’ book.

* * *

Speech by President of Russia at the ceremony for raising flags on ships entering Navy service

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Comrades,

I would like to welcome you and congratulate you on a big and important event. Today, we are raising naval flags on our latest warships at Severnaya Verf shipyard just as we did in Severomorsk two weeks ago. The frigate Admiral Golovko, the small missile ship Naro-Fominsk and the minesweeper Lev Chernavin are entering the Navy service. In accordance with our Maritime Doctrine, we continue the serial production and planned delivery of modern ships to the Navy.

The Admiral Golovko is a serial-produced frigate. Such ships form the backbone of the fleet’s attack groups in remote sea and ocean zones. It was built with cutting-edge technology and equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles that have proved their high efficiency in combat conditions.

The Naro-Fominsk is also one of the best projects among attack missile ships of this class. These ships have won combat glory. They strike with long-range cruise missiles, and at one time they targeted militant positions in Syria from the Caspian Sea. Today, they are successfully performing their mission in the special military operation.

Finally, the Lev Chernavin is a modern minesweeper with a unique hull. A decision to build another ten minesweepers of this class has already been made.

The commissioning of the latest ships serves as further evidence that our shipbuilding industry is on the rise and is progressing to smooth serial production of warships of various classes. This is a crucial, fundamental step in the revival and development of Russian shipbuilding.

At the moment the Russian shipyards have five frigates, eight corvettes, 13 small missile ships, and over 50 other ships of various classes under construction at various phases of completion. I will mention only the main orders.

I noted earlier that three Borei-A class nuclear-powered submarines and five Yasen-M class multi-purpose nuclear-powered submarines will be built at the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk within the next three years.

Six diesel submarines are currently under construction at the Admiralty Shipyards in St Petersburg. Orders have been placed for the construction of Arctic-grade patrol ships to ensure safe navigation along the Northern Sea Route, among other uses.

Serial construction of new frigates is underway here at Severnaya Verf shipyard. A number of small and medium-sized displacement corvettes will be built here from 2024 to 2035.

Small missile and patrol ships are being built at the Zelenodolsk Plant in Tatarstan. Two newly designed all-purpose landing ships and small missile ships for the Black Sea Fleet are under construction at the shipbuilding plant in Kerch.

Two large landing ships are under construction at Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad. Seven more ships in this series will be built by 2035.

The construction of three small missile ships for the Baltic Fleet is nearing completion at Pella Shipyard in the Leningrad Region. Additionally, ocean minesweepers will roll off the slipway shortly at the Sredne-Nevsky Shipbuilding Plant.

Orders for the production of six corvettes and four small missile ships have been placed with the Amur Shipbuilding Plant in the Khabarovsk Region. Construction of a series of frigates at that plant is under consideration.

These system-wide efforts will ensure the sustainable development of the industry enterprises and that of their partners and suppliers, bringing additional investment to these regions, creating new jobs, and advancing technologies, including for civilian shipbuilding.

We will, without a doubt, see our shipbuilding plans to completion, and fundamentally improve Russia’s naval power in all strategic areas and across the World Ocean.

The frigate Admiral Golovko will join the Northern Fleet soon, and the small missile ship Naro-Fominsk and the ocean minesweeper Lev Chernavin will be placed in active service with the Baltic Fleet to safeguard our western borders.

I would like to congratulate navy men and shipbuilders on today’s event and thank the labour teams for their professionalism and dedication. My best wishes to the crews to serve with dignity and to the benefit of Russia. And, of course, in line with the old naval tradition, I wish you fair winds and following seas.