ST PETERSBURG (Reuters) -
President Vladimir Putin on Sunday signed a new naval doctrine which cast the United States as Russia’s main rival and set out Russia’s global maritime ambitions for crucial areas such as the Arctic and in the Black Sea.
Putin made the remarks on Russia’s Navy Day in the former imperial capital of St Petersburg.
After inspecting the navy, Putin made a short speech in which he promised that what he touted as Russia’s unique Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles, cautioning that Russia had the military clout to defeat any potential aggressors.
“The delivery of these (missiles) to the Russian armed forces will start in the coming months,” Putin said. “The Admiral Gorshkov frigate will be the first to go on combat duty with these formidable weapons on board.
“The key thing here is the capability of the Russian navy... It is able to respond with lightning speed to all who decide to infringe on our sovereignty and freedom.”
Hypersonic weapons can travel at nine times the speed of sound, and Russia has conducted previous test-launches of the Zircon from warships and submarines over the past year.
Shortly before the speech, he signed a new 55-page naval doctrine, which sets out the broad strategic aims of Russia’s navy, including its ambitions as a “great maritime power” which extend over the entire world.
The main threat to Russia, the doctrine says, is “the strategic policy of the USA to dominate the world’s oceans” and the movement of the NATO military alliance closer towards Russia’s borders.
Russia may use its military force appropriately to the situation in the world’s oceans should other soft powers, such as diplomatic and economic tools, be exhausted, the doctrine says.
Putin did not mention the conflict in Ukraine during his speech but the military doctrine envisages a “comprehensive strengthening of Russia’s geopolitical position” in the Black and Azov seas.
In another development, Moscow said a drone attack by the Ukrainian military has wounded six people at the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea fleet in Crimea.
Mikhail Razvozhayev, the head of the local Russian administration in the city of Sevastopol in Crimea, said the drone attack on Sunday hit the navy command in the city, forcing the cancellation in the city of festivities marking Russia’s annual holiday celebrating the Navy Day.
“Early this morning, [Ukraine] decided to spoil our Navy Day. An unidentified object flew into the yard of the fleet headquarters, according to preliminary data, it was a drone,” the governor said.
“There were no fatalities, six people were injured, two in moderate condition, the rest are in stable condition,” Razvozhayev further said, adding that the victims were employees of the fleet headquarters.
“All celebrations have been cancelled for security reasons,” said the Russian official, urging people to “remain calm and stay home if possible.”