Russia shows naval strength at Navy Day 2021

Russian Navy Day 2021

Russian navy ships set sail on River Neva in St. Petersburg during a naval parade to celebrate the Russian Navy Day on July 25.

The naval parade, a day marked for national pride, involved 54 warships, 48 military aircraft, and over 4,000 servicemen.

The tradition to celebrate the Navy on the last Sunday of July date back to the Soviet era having been established in 1939. It was abolished shortly before the Soviet collapse but then reinstated by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2003.

Russia's Baltic, Black Sea, Northern, Pacific Fleets as well as the Caspian Flotilla participated in the main naval parade in St. Petersburg.

The Russian Navy's Northern Fleet's new nuclear-powered submarine Prince Vladimir, the most eye-catching warship on the year's Navy Day, made its debut in the parade.

The annual procession of warships and submarines from the Neva river in Saint Petersburg to the nearby island of Kronstadt takes about two hours, an opportunity to rouse the nation's self-esteem.

Russian President Vladimir Putin

President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday the Russia's navy can detect any enemy and launch an unpreventable strike if needed. 

 "The Russian navy today has everything needed for the guaranteed defense of the motherland, our national interest. We are capable of detecting any underwater, above water, airborne enemy, and if required carry out an unpreventable strike against it,"

President Vladimir Putin said in his speech. 

Ships from the Iranian, Pakistani, and Indian navies also took part in the parade.