ST. PETERSBURG, July 31. /TASS/. Russian President, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Putin reviewed the country’s Main Naval Parade that took place in St. Petersburg on Russia’s Navy Day celebrated on July 31.
The massive naval parade involved cutting-edge combat ships and gunboats on the Neva River in St. Petersburg and in the Kronshtadt roadstead.
The Russian leader traditionally reviews the naval parade that takes place on Russia’s Navy Day on the Neva River and makes the rounds along the parade formation of combat ships in the Kronshtadt roadstead aboard a presidential review boat. Upon opening the event, he delivers his congratulations to the sailors of the Russian Navy.
Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Nikolay Yevmenov reported to Putin about the readiness for the naval parade. Russia’s Main Naval Parade ran between the Annunciation and Trinity Bridges on the Neva River and in the inner harbor of the Kronshtadt naval fortress.
The Main Naval Parade included the maritime, airborne and ground components to give a complete picture of the modern Russian Navy. In all, 47 combat ships, boats and submarines of Russia’s Northern, Pacific, Baltic and Black Sea Fleets participated in the Main Naval Parade on the Neva River and in the Kronshtadt roadstead.
The airborne part of the parade involved over 40 naval aviation aircraft and helicopters of the Russian Navy and Aerospace Forces. A quartet of Mi-8 military-transport helicopters opened the airborne part of the Main Naval Parade. They were followed by groups of Ka-31R, Ka-29 and Ka-27M helicopters, two An-72 transport planes and Il-38N anti-submarine warfare aircraft. The fly-past also included deck-based Su-27 and MiG-29 fighter jets, Tu-142 anti-submarine aircraft, MiG-31 fighters, Su-24 bombers and Su-25 ground attack aircraft that released fumes in the colors of the Russian national tricolor flag.
Over 3,500 troops also participated in Russia’s Main Naval Parade.
The tradition to hold the Main Naval Parade in St. Petersburg "to honor glorious victories of the Navy that made a substantial contribution to defending the Fatherland" emerged in 2017. The relevant decree was signed by President Putin. The first Main Naval Parade took place on the Neva River on July 30, 2017.
The parade formation on the Neva River comprised the missile corvettes Odintsovo and Zelyony Dol, the minesweepers Alexander Obukhov and Pavel Khenov, the anti-saboteur boats Nakhimovets, Yunarmeyets Tatarstana, P-468, P-471, the amphibious assault boat Ivan Pasko with a replica of the botik (small boat) of Tsar Peter the Great, the patrol boat Yevgeny Kolesnikov with a female crew and the missile boat Chuvashia. The parade lineup also included two border guard boats of Russia’s Federal Security Service and two boats of the Emergencies Ministry.
The naval parade in the Kronshtadt roadstead included the guard ship Yaroslav Mudry, the corvettes Stoiky and Soobrazitelny, the small missile ships Passat and Sovetsk, the small anti-submarine warfare ships Urengoi and Kazanets, the diesel-electric submarine Magadan and other vessels. The nuclear-powered submarines Severodvinsk and Vepr participated in the parade’s static show.