Russia will strengthen its naval fleet this year with 26 new ships, four of which will be equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Sunday.
“In total, the navy will be richer by 26 new ships in 2018, four of which will carry Kalibr cruise missiles,” Putin said at the Navy Day celebration in St. Petersburg.
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The Kalibr missiles, with a range of 1900 kilometers, are equivalent to the American Tomahawk cruise missiles and have been used in recent years in Russian airstrikes on targets in Syria. They have been launched from Russian warships stationed in the Mediterranean.
The commander of the Black Sea Russian fleet stationed in Sevastopol, Vice Admiral Alexander Moiseev, stated that his forces will be reinforced by six new ships by the end of the year.
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Putin attended a large parade on the Neva River on Sunday morning, which featured 39 ships, 40 combat aircraft and helicopters, and around 4000 soldiers.
