Russian Defense Minister: Raising combat readiness of the Black Sea Fleet is crucial to ensuring the security of Russia's southern maritime axis

Moscow, July 3 (KUNA) -- Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov affirmed on Friday that raising the combat readiness of the Black Sea Fleet, alongside developing early warning systems and air defense capabilities, constitutes a core task to ensure the security of Russia’s southern maritime direction amid current security challenges. This statement came during a review visit by Belousov to the Black Sea Fleet headquarters, where he reviewed field reports on the progress of operational missions. The Russian Ministry of Defense quoted Belousov as stressing the need to enhance the efficiency of coastal surveillance systems and strengthen capabilities to counter air attacks and protect military and civilian infrastructure.

For his part, Russian Presidential Assistant and Secretary of the Security Council Nikolai Patrushev, in a similar statement, said that “any naval alliance between Northern European countries and Ukraine should be included on the list of military risks and threats facing Russia.” Patrushev added that “the growing naval activity of what he described as an alliance between Northern European countries and Ukraine is complicating the security situation in the Arctic, the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, and the Black Sea,” emphasizing the necessity of maintaining the readiness of the Russian Fleet and its capacity to address various threats.

These remarks come within the context of an explicit Russian policy to enhance maritime capabilities and modernize the technological infrastructure of the maritime industry. During meetings of the Security Council in June, Patrushev stressed the importance of developing maritime technologies and achieving what he termed “technological sovereignty,” which would support the implementation of Russia’s maritime policy and strengthen national interests in seas and oceans. (End) D.A.N./M.Kh.