President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Comrades, good afternoon.
I met with many of you earlier today. Once again, I extend my warmest greetings to you on this wonderful holiday – Navy Day. I have already spoken about how important and popular Navy Day is in Russia, among our citizens, and how respected naval personnel are, meaning both sailors in general and military sailors in particular. The sea is inherently associated with risk, and military sailors have to face double or triple that risk.
A distinct culture has developed within the naval circles, one that has been evolving for centuries, since the time of Peter the Great. This is because service in the Navy calls for a very particular set of skills and knowledge. Clearly, modern living conditions inevitably shape everyday life and behaviour – that much is obvious. Nevertheless, everyone in Russia understands that sailors are, after all, a special family, a special caste in the best sense of the word.
So from the bottom of my heart, I once again offer my greetings to you on Navy Day. I wish you and your loved ones all the very best – and, of course, your comrades in arms. Let me also honour those now at their combat posts. My warmest wishes go to them as well.
After the awards ceremony, I began touching on certain issues with some of my comrades. If there is anything you would like to share with me, to ask me, to request of me, or to say to me, I would be delighted. Please, feel free to ask any questions.
I understand that everyone here is a military man and used to standing, but we are having a family conversation, so let’s sit down.
Please.
Commander of the 36th Division of Surface Forces of the Primorye All-Arms Flotilla of the Pacific Fleet, Captain 1st Rank Alexei Ulyanenko: Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief.
Captain 1st Rank Ulyanenko, Pacific Fleet.
Of course, the main task for the Navy, the Defence Ministry and the entire country now is to achieve the goals of the special military operation. As sailors, we perform other tasks as well. For example, the ships of the 36th Surface Division often handle missions across the world’s oceans and participate in international drills. The scope of these international drills grows every year. It is crucial for us to hear your assessment of the military sailors’ operation in the context of national security.
Vladimir Putin: I would like to point out some aspects.
First, you mentioned international exercises. Their scope indicates that attempts to isolate Russia even in such a sensitive area as defence and security are going up in smoke. There are a great number of countries that feel friendly towards Russia and understand the tasks we are handling to ensure our security and strengthen the multipolar world. It is important for the overwhelming majority of participants in international activity. The growing scope of joint drills speaks volumes.
As for the importance of the Russian Navy, it never fades. Since the founding of the Russian Navy, it has held great significance for the security of the Russian state. Russia is a continental power above all else. It looks like one at first glance. Even after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, we remain the world's largest country by territory. But 60 percent of Russia’s borders with other countries run through water, seas and oceans. Therefore, even objectively, the significance of the Russian Navy is a constant and a very important one.
Furthermore, the Navy plays an enormous role in the nuclear triad, but that is an obvious statement for me to make in front of you, the military personnel and the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy. It would probably be excessive to speak about the importance of the submarine fleet as well. This fleet is equipped with intercontinental ballistic missiles to deter any enemy and to inflict unacceptable damage to it in the event of direct aggression against the Russian Federation or threats to Russia’s sovereignty.
Therefore, the Navy has long been and remains essential to national security. In addition to that, there are other aspects that are not directly related to the art of war. Many achievements in military shipbuilding are used for civilian purposes – not only in shipbuilding but also in electronics and many other industries. As for the significance of the Navy, there is no doubt that we will do all we can to strengthen the naval component of the Russian power.
Yes, right now, we have to justifiably direct many resources towards success in the special military operation. However, we have further plans to develop the fleet and both our far and near maritime zones. These plans will certainly be achieved. When 60 percent of our borders are maritime borders, how can this be any other way?
Please.
Commander of the Electromechanical Warfare Unit 266 of the Nuclear-Powered Submarine Crew of the 24th Submarine Division of the Northern Fleet’s Submarine Forces Captain 2nd Rank Nikolai Khartsiy: Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief!
Captain 2nd Rank, Northern Fleet.
While carrying out combat missions, one cannot help but notice how the World Ocean is turning into an arena of interstate rivalry and confrontation. Until recently, the Arctic was seen as a region of peaceful, close cooperation with Russia, but now it is increasingly characterised by a growing potential for conflict with us. At the same time, the main feature of Western policy is a pronounced course towards militarisation and rivalry with a clearly anti-Russia bias. What must we do in these circumstances?
Vladimir Putin: You know, we feel very calm and confident, because international law is on our side, and we have ample means to defend our interests. Yes, at some point, much was lost.
Mr Patrushev, you were the director of the FSB and took the necessary steps at that time to strengthen the state border. Where did you station border guards?
Presidential Aide Nikolai Patrushev: Franz Josef Land and Alexandra Land.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, Franz Josef Land. These are Russian islands. By the time we began to re-establish our presence there, foreign tourist routes had already been set up. And when guides were explaining these territories to tourists, they would say anything except that they belonged to the Russian Federation. Everyone was beginning to get used to the idea that Russia wasn’t there. But it is ours, and we do have a presence there. We established border posts there and began to re-establish our presence accordingly.
And when I said that international law is entirely on our side, that means this is a legitimate part of sovereign Russian territory. We are developing economic activity there. We need to act extremely carefully to protect our economic interests there, as you know. The Arctic’s environment is extremely fragile, so it is essential to use the latest technologies – which is exactly what our companies are doing to extract resources. That is the first point.
Second, the logistics capabilities of the Northern Sea Route. Exploiting these requires developing ports and coastal logistics, and maintaining the operation of ship and crew rescue services in distress. That is achieved by Navy-ensured security. We address and we will continue to address these matters.
We have never sought any sort of confrontation in this region. On the contrary, we have always invited everybody interested to cooperate in solidarity and in line with international law. We are willing to cooperate with everybody provided that – and this goes without saying – these routes belong to the Russian Federation. We have the technical capabilities for that. As you know, no other country in the world has an icebreaker fleet like ours. I believe nobody else has nuclear-powered icebreakers. But we do. Starting with Lenin, we are now building a Leader-class icebreaker that will be able to break metres-thick ice, which is unprecedented. Andrei, do you remember exactly, is it three metres?
Defence Minister Andrei Belousov: More. Four or five.
Vladimir Putin: Four metres, correct?
Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Alexander Moiseyev: Ice in the Arctic?
Vladimir Putin: No. The Leader will be able to break it.
Alexander Moiseyev: Up to three metres.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, just over three metres. Nobody else in the world can do the same. If anybody claims they are planning to build something like that – and some advanced countries are probably capable of that – it will take years, maybe decades. God bless them, we don’t mind them working.
We are open to cooperation in this area, but we will certainly protect our interests – just as we do with the Northern Sea Route, because the most efficient and economically viable route runs largely through our territorial waters or the Russian Federation’s exclusive economic zone. That is to say, it is practically entirely under our control – not practically, but entirely. The closer to shore, the more efficient and safer it is. Further out, there are neutral waters, where navigation is more difficult, if not impossible. Mr Moiseyev knows – only submarines can “crawl” under the ice, and you probably know that too. But for merchant shipping and tankers, that is not yet possible.
What is the current timeframe – roughly five months without escort?
Alexander Moiseyev: From June to early October.
Vladimir Putin: From June to early October. The most favourable period is mid-August. And icebreakers are still needed.
You and I also know that ballistic missile routes pass through the Northern Sea Route, where our submarines are based, and other countries are also trying to gain access. We have a developed region, and we will continue to develop it – which is very important from an economic perspective.
We all know well what Lomonosov said about Russia’s wealth growing through Siberia. Now, it is no exaggeration to say that Russia’s wealth will grow through the Arctic. It is difficult even to measure it now, and it is difficult to put a monetary value on the resources with which the Arctic is so richly endowed.
We have already developed an entire programme, and we will continue to do so: creating conditions for people to live and work there. This includes improvements and creating good conditions in key Arctic cities. A great deal of work lies ahead. And, of course, the presence of our Armed Forces there – threatening no one, but ensuring the interests of the Fatherland – is a very important component of all our work in the Arctic.
Thank you. Good luck.
Please.
Captain 3rd rank Mikhail Kislov: Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
Captain 3rd rank Mikhail Kislov, Black Sea Fleet.
Unmanned crafts operating in different environments have become central to present-day warfare. Experts believe that the future of naval warfare lies with the so-called mosquito fleet while large vessels will allegedly have no place in it. Is this true?
Vladimir Putin: It is a claim made by those operating mosquito fleets and earning or planning to earn from it. It is either that or they wish to boost their self-esteem by working in this extremely important field.
First of all, what is a mosquito fleet? I believe there is no set definition.
We are in St Petersburg. The Russian Navy fought against Sweden in the Gulf of Finland. Does anybody remember when the Battle of Gangut took place? I believe it also happened here.
Remark: 1717.
Vladimir Putin: 1717? Perhaps. By the way, after that battle, Peter the Great lived on board the ships for two years. Russia did not have any large vessels at the time. Russian ships were rather small compared to Swedish ones.
What did Peter and fleet commanders do? They successfully moved small ships from one combat area to another which paved the way for their success. The fleet started to develop further on, with small boats, ships, and so on.
Look at what is happening in the Middle Eastern conflict zone. Those operating a mosquito fleet are doing that rather effectively.
Mosquito fleets have always existed. The only new thing is technology. We have had, for quite some time, small-tonnage vessels equipped with modern weapons. Kalibrs can be launched to carry out precision strikes from small boats and ships – and they can be launched from even smaller ones. There are new weapons for equipping these ships and boats, and we have the technology too. Take Poseidon that we have mentioned many times before. It is essentially an unmanned submersible, in its final development phase. We are close to completing it and making it operational. We have the technology but it needs to be improved and adjusted to specific water regions and specific combat situations.
This is a matter of understanding what is going on and responding in a timely manner. This has happened many times over the course of history: there were times when we succeeded in these efforts, but not always. However, let me stress that we always ended up understanding what had to be done and acted to the best of our ability.
This is precisely the case today. We are developing both subsurface and surface unmanned vessels, which are proving highly effective, including in the combat zone. I say this in all confidence – with absolute confidence. We will, of course, continue developing this segment.
Once again, this can offer a highly effective means of military confrontation, particularly within the near maritime zone, especially in the context of upgrading the strike capabilities which can be installed on these vessels and boats. However, as regards large ships, they remain the fundamental element of the fleet. This is not to mention nuclear-powered submarines which carry formidable missile systems with intercontinental range – as well as surface ships, frigates, cruisers, and other classes.
The crucial point is that such vessels, including aircraft carrier strike groups, must be reliably protected. They must possess modern means for detecting and confronting the adversary.
Our naval commanders, who built the Russian fleet in earlier eras, would always say that the fleet must be balanced. And today, more than ever, it must be balanced. We must determine which assets are most effective in which zone.
As for large ships – both the submarine fleet and large surface ships – there is not merely a place for them; they will, without doubt, remain the foundation for the development of the fleet as a whole. This is especially true now that these large ships acquire new strike and defence capabilities. The Zircon missile is a case in point. This is still work in progress, in terms of precision. Yet the most recent deployment demonstrateв that it is becoming increasingly precise. As for the hypersonic missile – few countries in the world possess such a weapon. Moreover, we not only possess it – we are perfecting it and will continue to do so. The fleet must be balanced. And so it shall be.
Thank you.
Please, go ahead.
Senior Gun-Layer of Multiple-Launch Rocket System Platoon of the 177th Detached Guards Marine Regiment of the Caspian Flotilla, Guards Senior Sailor Vitaly Suchkov: Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
I am Guards Senior Sailor Suchkov from the Caspian Flotilla.
It is a great honour to meet with you here today on Navy Day. I was mobilised into the army and until recently would have never believed that I would get an opportunity to meet with you.
I would like to ask the following question: Everyone in this country knows that you have an overwhelmingly packed work schedule; nevertheless, you have found time to meet with us, ordinary lads, with fighters and members of our families. Tell me, please, what do these meetings mean to you personally?
Vladimir Putin: The answer is quite straightforward. First, I have meetings with people who excel on the battlefield not only when celebrating something, but also as part of what could seem as my daily routine.
For me, the primary purpose of these meetings consists of demonstrating and emphasising the significance of the cause that you serve. This is what matters the most. This is my first point.
My second objective is to listen to you. I do realise that there are certain restrictions, service members are very reserved, and sometimes they will not say much. Nevertheless, these conversations can help me learn more about what is happening along the line of contact, whether something is in short supply, in terms of the performance of the armed forces, what equipment is lacking, and what the users of such equipment think about its quality. This amounts to serious feedback.
Third, this is also a matter of raising social issues. I am telling you frankly that, of course, I and many people working with me, including the Defence Minister, the Chief of the General Staff, the troops commander, of course – we always think about addressing social issues. It may be counterintuitive, but we keep stumbling upon various omissions and shortcomings when something is lacking or has been overlooked. This is not happening because someone does not want to do something. There is so much complexity and variability in our lives, and it is not uncommon for decision-makers not to notice something, while people at the grassroots level have to live by these decisions.
This third component consists of working on social matters dealing with special military operation participants, helping the victims and the wounded fighters, their families, including families of soldiers killed in action. When I meet with them, there is always a new issue that comes up. I can have an impression that everything has been said but no, there is always something else. This is very useful and important both for those who are affected by these decisions and for the entire country.
This is because the country must realise today and in the future that the state will pay utmost attention to people who risk their lives and health, while defending state interests, and it will treat their interests and your interests with great care and diligence.
Therefore, considering all these considerations, I believe that meetings like this one as well as those not linked to any festive occasions, do matter, and make no mistake, I will continue holding them.
Thank you.
Senior Guards Sergeant Timur Naumov, Northern Fleet: Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Federation.
Senior Guards Sergeant Timur Naumov, Northern Fleet.
The naval infantry has been on the forefront since the very start of the special military operation. We have seen it all and there is little that can surprise us. However, the atrocious way in which the adversary has been treating civilians is something completely mind-boggling. In fact, they keep harassing people who are Ukrainian nationals. Where did the soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, especially their nationalist units, learn this cruel attitude? After all, they have not changed their battlefield tactics and continue using civilians, the people of Ukraine, as live shields. How can it be, considering that there was a time when we used the same textbooks and watched the same movies and admired the same heroic characters?
Vladimir Putin: You want to know why this is happening? To be honest, I have been thinking about this too.
First, let me tell you that the naval infantry is always at the forefront. This year alone, I think that naval infantry fighters liberated over 20 communities. Some of these units were established long ago by Peter the Great back in 1705, if I remember these dates correctly. This is when the first naval infantry regiments were formed. The naval infantry are elite troops within our Armed Forces as well as within the Navy. By the way, the naval infantry also played a major role in the Battle of Gangut when they boarded the Swedish ships, etc. I may not be exactly spot on, but I think this is how it went.
What is worth stressing in this context is that the naval infantry has a very important role within the Armed Forces in general and has been very effective across all theatres no matter where it has been deployed. This is how things stand.
I had a reason to say that the naval infantry is always at the forefront. Therefore, you are the first to discover what is happening or happened in the liberated communities when entering them. The question is about why this is happening. Is Russia’s aggression to blame, I mean the so-called aggression? Of course, not. There was no aggression to begin with.
As I have said many times, and I would like to make this point once again, we did not start any wars. All we did was respond to the military action and the war unleashed by the Kiev regime with Western support against what was then Ukraine’s southeast, a region which has always sought to forge closer ties with Russia.
You know that there has been a line separating Ukraine in what was called its left-bank side and its right-bank side throughout its entire history. The left-bank side was not only viewed as being closer to Russia but was actually part of Russia. Take Donbass, which I have also mentioned… I read documents from the archives on the decision by the Soviet government to include Donbass in the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic at the request of its representatives, but after that Vladimir Lenin received Bolsheviks from the western regions and they convinced him to designate these territories as being part of Ukraine which was about to be created. Here is how Lenin responded when Donbass representatives asked him: “How can it be, since we had an agreement that Donbass would be with Mother Russia? After all, this was a done deal.” But Lenin said: “We will have to change it.” And change the decision they did. It is now up to you and up to us to get back on a normal course of history.
This being said, I can now answer your question. What happened, to use one example, after the Great Patriotic War? After the Great Patriotic War, some of those who fought for Nazi Germany moved overseas. The so-called anti-Russian centres – at the time they were targeting the USSR, were proactive in relying on those who sided with the Nazis during the war and later their successors and descendants. How could it be since these people had sided with the Nazis during the war?
It can be said that these people were guided by their nationalist aspirations, and focused on the interests of Ukraine and its people. But what were their founding principles? They stemmed from Nazi ideology. It is not a coincidence that they have been publicly seeking to revive the Nazi ideology today. They have been conferring the UPA designation, which stands for the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, on military units for their excellence, and reburying Nazi criminals.
I have heard many times that Ukraine is searching for a new identity. This begs a question on why Nazism and neo-Nazism must form the foundation for this new identity? This brings me to my main point. This kind of neo-Nazism moved to these so-called anti-Russia, anti-Soviet centres. This brought nationalism and neo-Nazism very close together to make them intertwined. When the current regime started relying on this segment of the society and this ideology, those who are fighting for it automatically adopted this vision. This regime is actually based on neo-Nazi ideology and extreme nationalism. Nationalism is not about focusing on one’s own agenda. It is mostly about countering others. Being a patriot means placing your motherland above everything else rather than opposing or confronting others, while being a nationalist comes down to confronting others as a means of asserting one’s interests. The Kiev regime has built its present-day ideology based on the extreme brand of nationalism and neo-Nazism.
Therefore, there is nothing surprising here. It is not that I am disclosing any secrets, since I have already discussed this before… In the early days of the special military operation, I read a battlefield report about an intercepted message. Our men intercepted a conversation between two Ukrainian tank crew members when their tank column was entering a community in the Donbass.
Here is what I read in the report. A man wearing a sports outfit appeared from a residential building. He simply left the building. One of the tank crew members instantly shot him with his machinegun. The second member of the tank crew asked him: “What have you done? Why did you do that?” Here is what the first fighter, the one who killed the man, said: “They are all criminals here, they are all ruffians, and they side with Moscow and Russia – there is no point in sparing them.” The man did not do anything, he just left his home to see what was going on. They killed him and kept rolling. This is what forms the core of this extreme brand of nationalism and underpins neo-Nazism. This is what fuels the regime in its present-day form. And this is what we are fighting.
Guards Lieutenant Colonel Dmitry Pryanikov, Black Sea Fleet: May I?
Vladimir Putin: Yes, please. Go ahead.
Dmitry Pryanikov: Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
Guards Lieutenant Colonel Dmitry Pryanikov, Black Sea Fleet.
The 43rd Separate Guards Naval Assault Aviation Regiment of the Black Sea Fleet Naval Aviation has been participating and carrying out tasks of the special military operation since the very first days. The workload is enormous, and the number of combat missions is only increasing. That is why our personnel value every minute of silence, in order to carry out scheduled maintenance and repair works on the aircraft, conduct debriefings with the flight crews, teach something or simply get some sleep, take a shower, or enjoy the silence for a while.
My question is simple. Given your schedule and your workload today, what is your way of pulling yourself together, rebooting in five or seven minutes when you feel absolutely exhausted? Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: You need to save your energy so that you are always ready for combat. That is the first thing.
Second. You know, what I do is a rather unique kind of activity, and it involves a diversity of tasks. Just now, Andrei Belousov reported on the documents that he had prepared. Even at the ministerial level, this is a huge body of work in the interests of the state. We have just discussed financial issues, organisational matters and international affairs. But that is only the Ministry’s work. In the country as a whole, it is similar: there are social issues, cultural matters – you name it.
What am I getting at? Over the course of the day, I have to meet with colleagues and people from different fields. I have to switch from one topic to another constantly, almost instantly. And overall, this provides a bit of a reset because, as one famous person once said, a change of activity is the best kind of rest. For me, that happens all the time.
Of course, physical exercise and sports are important. When there is an opportunity, one should try listening to music or doing something they love. I try to do that myself as much as possible. And, of course, you need to keep an eye on your daily routine, and you need to get enough sleep. I advise you to do the same. Did I hit the mark? I see.
Go ahead.
Guards Major Oleg Solomakha, commander of an assault company of a marine battalion, the 145th Marine Regiment, 810th Guards Separate Marine Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet: Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces, I am Guards Major Solomakha, commander of an assault company.
We were brought up from the example of heroes of the Great Patriotic War. I want to ask if our great-grandchildren will learn from the example of heroes of the special military operation. Will textbooks tell them about our heroes, people from Donbass who fought to the bitter end?
Vladimir Putin: Yes, without a doubt. Moreover, this is already being done. I think you could notice that.
We are trying to support creative initiatives. Songs are being composed, films are being made, and books are being written about them. Moreover, new chapters are being added to our history textbooks.
You know, the river of time is endless, and every era gives birth to its own heroes, people like you and those who are, regrettably, no longer with us. But all these people write history, people like you and your comrades-in-arms who have given their lives for Russia, for our Motherland. But it is true that the country must know its history.
Therefore, special funds are allocated at the Ministry of Culture to support filmmakers in this sphere. On the other hand, I keep thinking that we also need to imbue the mindset of our society, our people with the importance of the cause you are serving. You are serving your Motherland. What can be more important than that?
Your colleague has just now spoken about a schedule, my working schedule and his working schedule. But what can be more important than what you are doing now? Nothing is more important, because you are defending our Motherland. You at the forefront of events, and it is even more difficult for you than for me. But no matter how difficult it is, you risk your lives every day, and the country must certainly know about this.
Please.
Battery Commander of the 336th Naval Infantry Regiment of the 120th Guards Naval Infantry Division of the Baltic Fleet, Guards Captain Yegor Borko: Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation!
Guards Captain Yegor Borko, Baltic Fleet.
As we are aware, you receive daily summaries, reports , and dispatches regarding the operational situation in the special military operation zone. I am curious – do you also receive information from elsewhere, from the so-called public channels? And do you watch videos from the front line?
Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: I am situated at a point where all available information converges. Accordingly, I receive it from official sources, from your commanding officers, from yourself, and from the men – fighters such as you, and commanders whom I occasionally have the opportunity to meet. Not often, admittedly, but nevertheless. I receive information from the special services monitoring the situation across all sectors of the line of contact and, indeed, throughout the country, along with information from the mass media. Regarding public channels and bloggers, there are all manner of people. There are bloggers whom I sometimes even watch with pleasure. Although I seldom have the time, whenever I come across them, frankly speaking, I am sometimes glad. Splendid – well done, they strike precisely at the heart of the matter. Such individuals do exist. Equally, there are those who, in my view, are pursuing their own personal objectives. I shall not elaborate. However, all kinds of information exist, and it reaches me as well.
As for public channels and the like, they are not without utility, yet they are dangerous because there is a considerable amount of informational noise. If a person is unprepared, or lacks a fundamental grasp of the essence of current events, then these public channels can mislead anyone. For me, this has a certain significance – it also creates a particular backdrop, reflecting the variety of sources of information. This affords me the opportunity to assess the public channels themselves accordingly. Some of them are undoubtedly good. Nevertheless, I rely primarily on what I receive from official sources, although I form my final conclusions based on an analysis of the entire body of information that reaches me.
Guards Senior Seaman Vitaly Suchkov, senior gunner of a rocket artillery platoon crew, 177th Guards Separate Marine Regiment of the Caspian Flotilla: Permission to speak, sir?
Vladimir Putin: Go ahead.
Vitaly Suchkov: Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Russia!
Guards Senior Seaman Suchkov, Caspian Flotilla.
I know that I have already asked a question, but it is extremely important for me to say this. I was called up for military service in September 2022 during the mobilisation. Without a moment’s hesitation, I stepped up to protect my Motherland and has been fighting on the frontline for nearly four years. My commanders say that I have learned a new profession, a rocket artillery crewman, very well. Today, when we are celebrating Navy Day together with my comrades in arms, I would like to sign a contract with the Defence Ministry, joining the naval professionals. I want to and I will defend my Motherland.
This concludes my report.
Vladimir Putin: I can say nothing except words of gratitude. It is a very good example when a person who was mobilised has found his calling. Do you know what I think when I look at what is happening to you and meet people like you? I think that many of those who led very quiet, unassuming lives, doing their jobs and fulfilling their duties in government or even military service feel very differently now, because they know that they are playing a crucial part in defending the country.
There are very many important things that stabilise the country and develop it. The might of the country now comprises very many elements, such as the economy, finance, information security, and, of course, the industry, all of which are important. But the direct protection of the state certainly puts the people who do this in the front row of those who are not only defending the country but are also strengthening it and shaping its future.
That is why I wish you every success. Thank you very much.
Please.
Guards Junior Sergeant Yury Malofeyev, commander of an air assault battalion squad, 61st Guards Separate Marine Brigade of the Northern Fleet: Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation!
Guards Junior Sergeant Yury Malofeyev, Northern Fleet.
In 2026, we mark both the 330th anniversary of the Navy and the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia. This is symbolic for us, because the Navy historically united people of all nationalities. There is also a real international of peoples on the frontline. We do not think about ethnic backgrounds there, because we are one people and one family fighting for our common Motherland, just as our grandfathers and great-grandfathers did 80 years ago.
Incidentally, I am proud that my son Ivan was born on May 9, the day of our Great Victory. Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief, I would like to say on behalf of all our men, all personnel of the Navy that we will do everything in our power to rout the enemy and win, just like our forefathers did back then.
Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: That’s how it will be, no question about it. I have no doubt whatsoever.
You said that your son was born on May 9. In which year?
Yury Malofeyev: In 2023.
Vladimir Putin: So, how old is he, three years? Where does your family live?
Yury Malofeyev: In Severodvinsk.
Vladimir Putin: In Severodvinsk.
You said that this is the Year of Unity and that we are one people. You know, this feeling of unity is extremely important. And the fact that people put in special conditions, combat conditions, people on the line of contact, the frontline, feel this unity and this brotherhood despite different ethnic backgrounds and even different religions is extremely important for any country but it is doubly or even triply important for such a multinational country as Russia.
[Much depends] on this unity, on maintaining it… We must preserve this feeling of unity when the special military operation ends, and it will certainly end, sooner or later. You know, I meet with those who are helping you on the home front, doing their jobs and helping the frontline, like women who make nets and children who knit mittens. These people are doing this from the bottom of their hearts.
I have heard people say amazing things on several occasions: What will we do when the special military operation ends? In other words, they have become so deeply involved, putting their hearts into it and feeling part of a greater cause needed for the good of the nation, that they feel a sense of anxiety, worrying that they will not be as needed then as they are now. This is very important, and we certainly need to think together about preserving this [sense of engagement] in the future.
Look at what is happening in the neighbouring country. They are all at each other’s throats, like spiders in a jar. They are carving up the money stolen from Ukrainian people or their Western sponsors. They are carving it up and hounding each other to death, fleeing abroad, hiding, returning, and there is no end to it. What sort of unity can we talk about?
In addition to all of this, there is Ukraine’s western part, the gift from Joseph Stalin to Ukraine after the war. Stalin gifted those lands to Ukraine. He gifted them within one state. Probably, it never occurred to him that something like today’s situation could happen.
Speaking of which, I am certain that sooner or later, Ukraine will lose these western lands. What belonged to Poland, Hungary and Romania will sooner or later (not tomorrow but in a year or two, in ten or 15 years) will be put back in its historical place. Russia was the only guarantor of Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
They found it necessary, possible and beneficial for themselves to declare Russia its enemy and to declare Russians a non-titular ethnicity in Ukraine, which is complete nonsense. But they did it. They officially decided that Russians are not a titular ethnicity in Ukraine. It has come to that. Who are they then? Well, what can you do.
The modern world order was established after World War II and the Great Patriotic War based on the United Nations Charter. The Charter was designed by the winning countries – the Soviet Union, the United States, and Great Britain. The Charter serves as the basis for modern international law. It was created to provide certain rules.
Later, when the Soviet Union was torn apart, one of the UN founding nations and creators of international law, the system of international relations, ceased to exist. The so-called winners in the Cold War ‒ not only the United States but the entire collective West ‒ suddenly decided they should rectify a few things. Why should Russia and not the Soviet Union ‒ the Russia that lost certain potential ‒ benefit from the same privileges as a WWII winning nation? They started amending things ‒ and putting these amendments in practice immediately.
Remember what happened in Yugoslavia. I will not pass judgment on it now – it is a complex issue. But the Serbian people were divided into different national entities… Decisions were made that were completely at odds with the UN Charter. In effect, they let the genie out of the bottle. Then they assured us – assured Mikhail Gorbachev – that NATO would not expand. Yet one expansion followed another. Despite our repeated objections and protests, they paid no attention to either their promises or Russia’s security concerns. They just kept pushing forward until they reached Ukraine. At the time, Ukraine’s President supported joining the European Union but opposed NATO membership. What happened then? A coup d'état was orchestrated, bloody and unconstitutional, and the entire West acted as if nothing extraordinary had happened, as though it were perfectly acceptable.
It was precisely these aggressive actions, escalating year after year, that ultimately led to the current conflict in Ukraine and compelled us to launch the special military operation in an effort to bring an end to the military actions that had already been initiated by the West and the Kiev regime in what was then part of Ukraine.
But what you said about the unity of the Russian people and the sense that everyone is one family on the front lines, in the combat zone, is one of the most significant outcomes of the special military operation. That is extremely important to us. Our common goal is to preserve and strengthen this sense of unity among Russia’s multinational people.
Once again, let me congratulate you on Navy Day and wish you all the very best. Take care of yourselves and of the personnel under your command. I wish you every success – and victory to us all.
Thank you.
Alexander Moiseyev: Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief,
This conversation – this meeting with you – is undoubtedly very important to us. The men have asked if it would be possible for you to leave an autograph. We have some photographs and our banner here, and we would be grateful if you could sign them.
Vladimir Putin: Of course. We are all here together.
Where would you like me to sign?
Remark: May I?
Vladimir Putin: Certainly.
Alexander Moiseyev: Guards Senior Sergeant Naumov. Please.
Timur Naumov: Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief,
On behalf of the 61st Guards Brigade, may I ask you to leave a commemorative signature on our brigade flag?
Thank you.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much.
Happy Navy Day once again. All the best to you all.