Six years later, construction of the Krasnoyarsk and Tsar Alexander III submarines was completed at the Severodvinsk shipyard in the Arkhangelsk region east of the Kola Peninsula. There are eight other nuclear submarines under construction.
– With such ships and such weapons, Russia will feel safe, Putin said when he visited one of the submarines.
He added that the submarines will strengthen the Navy in the Arctic, the Middle East, the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Caspian Sea.
As the war in Ukraine is about to enter its third year, Russia has shifted the focus of its economy toward military production and has significantly increased its defense budget.
A future large-scale war against NATO
The renowned Institute for the Study of War (ISW) writes in A analysis President Putin’s intention is to strengthen and expand Russia’s ability to threaten the West.
“Putin claimed that the Sevmash facility intends to transfer three more Borei-A class submarines and five Yasen-M class submarines to the Russian Navy in the coming years,” ISW wrote.
“The purpose of the Russian military’s long-term restructuring and expansion efforts is to prepare Russia for a future large-scale conventional war against NATO,” the analysis stated.
ISW also wrote that allocating costly naval resources in areas outside Ukraine and Eastern Europe is likely intended to “threaten NATO and its allies in several regions.”
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Norway will lead a naval alliance
On Monday it became known that Norway and Great Britain will lead a naval alliance that will help Ukraine build coastal and sea defenses.
– It is very important for Ukraine to gain better control over its coastal area. Russia uses the Black Sea as a launching pad for missile attacks against the Ukrainian mainland, but also because open sea routes are extremely important for the Ukrainian economy, not least the opportunity to export grain, Defense Minister Björn Arild Gramm tells NTB.
He is in London to launch the new alliance that will help Ukraine with its maritime defence. Many countries will be included in the cooperation, and the main purpose is to coordinate support.
Ukraine has needs in all areas, no matter where it goes. By working in such a coalition, Gram says, we can think about and coordinate more long-term support.
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Great Britain supplies the ships
Norway has already trained Ukrainian soldiers in small boat operations and will be able to build on that, Gram says.
The goal is to further develop the work done by allies and partners to support Ukraine, in the short and long term. Now the UK, Norway and others will help Ukraine build a permanent naval capability, says Gram, who explains that the support will require a lot of work for many years to come.
The British Navy announced that it would provide it with two Sandown-class minesweepers, in addition to contributing other equipment, training and infrastructure, according to the British Daily Mail. press release From the British government.
These minesweepers will give Ukraine the ability to save lives at sea and open vital export routes, which have been severely limited since Vladimir Putin launched his large-scale illegal invasion, says British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps.
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It may also be appropriate for Norway to contribute more training, materials and expertise, Gram says. He points out that Norway, as a maritime nation, has a lot to contribute.
– It would be appropriate to use funds from the Nansen program for this purpose. He says: We have to look at how to make support as effective as possible.
Norwegian Navy Commander Oliver Berdahl also comes to Great Britain.
– There is a lot we can contribute. As I said, we have already contributed a lot with training, equipment and donations. Going forward, it is about seeing what is generally available with allies and then designing contributions where both equipment, training and training are considered in context so that we can support Ukraine optimally on our part.
“Some countries want to contribute more in one area and less in another, where they don’t have as much to contribute,” Berdal says.
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