The message reads, in part:
“We rightly take pride in the outstanding achievements of the many generations of your predecessors. Through their dedication and talent, they strengthened Russia’s standing as a maritime power and helped build the Russian Navy, which is celebrating its 330th anniversary this year. Over these years, thanks to the skill, professionalism and bold engineering vision of Russian specialists, thousands of vessels and warships have been built, from the first sailing ships to today’s state-of-the-art nuclear-powered giants, and powerful research, engineering and industrial capabilities have been established.
Today, the shipbuilding industry is tackling key tasks aimed at modernising the fleet, achieving technological sovereignty and ensuring the country’s defence capability. I would like to highlight the significant contribution made by Russian shipbuilders, above all the United Shipbuilding Corporation, to fulfilling the state defence order and equipping the Navy with a new generation of surface warships and submarines. Considerable attention is also being devoted to the construction of civilian vessels for a wide range of purposes. Work is continuing on the largest series of nuclear-powered icebreakers ever built, which will ensure year-round navigation along the Northern Sea Route and the Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor.
I am confident that Russia’s shipbuilders, including the teams working at shipyards, manufacturing plants and design bureaus, will continue to carry out the outlined plans with distinction.”