With an openly bellicose swagger reminiscent of former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev telling the West “we will bury you,” Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a warning to the world Sunday.
As Russia celebrated Navy Day in St. Petersburg, Putin said the Russian navy can destroy anything it wants, anytime it wants, anywhere it wants.
“We are capable of detecting any underwater, above-water, airborne enemy and, if required, carry out an unpreventable strike against it,” Putin said, according to Reuters.
The Russian state-run Tass news agency said the parade of ships Putin was watching included 50 total vessels, including 18 combat ships.
On Navy Day, Vladimir Putin reviewed the Main Naval Parade in St. Petersburg https://t.co/BGSZaUrccS pic.twitter.com/ORTrjxnjik
— President of Russia (@KremlinRussia_E) July 25, 2021
The Naval Parade in Saint Petersburg commemorating the #RussianNavyDay2021 is just about to begin! 50+ ships of various classes, 40+ air units & 4000+ servicemen are taking part. Follow the link to joinhttps://t.co/bzlDasQgu5
Parade starts: 10:45(Moscow time) 9:45(Pretoria time) pic.twitter.com/9F81IrFQ7O— Russia in RSA ?? (@EmbassyofRussia) July 25, 2021
Last month, tensions grew after an incident between Russian forces that claimed to have fired warning shots at the HMS Defender, a British warship.
Putin has said that the Defender was deliberately sent on a mission to provoke a response.
“First of all it was a provocation, quite obviously,” he said in an interview last month, according to the Independent.
“What were they trying to tell us?” he said.
“What goals were they trying to achieve?
“It was a complex provocation organized by the U.S. and the British because a warship entered our waters during the day and then … an American warplane took off from somewhere in Greece,” Putin added.
Putin claimed that the British ship “came into our waters and they looked at how we were going to respond” then “the [U.S.] plane was looking at how we were going to respond.”
Putin accused the United States and Britain of refusing to accept Russia’s invasion and occupation of Crimea as a done deal.
“Why is all this being done?” he said.
“In order to emphasize that these people do not respect the choice of Crimeans to join the Russian Federation.”
Russia last week said that it has successfully tested a hypersonic missile that Putin has said would give Russia an edge if war ever breaks out, according to Reuters.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
