Russia will create naval bases in the Mediterranean, the Persian Gulf and the Asia-Pacific region

Russia announced plans to establish new military bases in the Mediterranean, the Asia-Pacific region, the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf as part of a new naval doctrine approved by President Vladimir Putin and in which USA as the greatest threat to their security.

Moscow sees the “major risk” for its navy in the absence of sufficient bases outside its borders capable of receiving and supplying its ships, carrying out repairs and maintenance.

In addition to guaranteeing the permanent presence of the Russian fleet at the Tartus naval base in Syria, Moscow wants to develop naval maintenance centers “on the territory of other countries in the region”, which includes countries in Africa and the Middle East.

These bases will also be opened in the countries of the Pacific and Indian basins, the Red Sea, with the countries of which Russia has been trying for years to establish strategic cooperation as an alternative to its traditional European partners, which it faces a military campaign in Ukraine.

The Kremlin is preparing to address one of its navy’s main shortcomings for decades: building aircraft carriers.

In particular, the doctrine mentions an interest in developing naval cooperation with India, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

It is he who believes that the “greatest challenge” to his national security is the strategy USA dominate the World Ocean, including limiting Russia’s access to ocean resources and communications.

Moscow accuses Washington of seeking “unquestioned hegemony” for its navy, which is accompanied by territorial claims to Russian coasts and islands, convergence of NATO infrastructure and increased naval maneuvers.

For all this Russia tIt also intends to accelerate and diversify its activities in Arctic waters from the archipelagos of Novaya Zemlya, Francisco Jose and Svalbard (under Norwegian sovereignty) or Wrangel Island.

One of the Kremlin’s priorities will be to become one of the leaders in the exploration and exploitation of the resources of the Arctic territory, especially the Russian continental shelf, which is also claimed by other countries that accuse Russia of militarizing the region.

“Important Directions” for Russia

And also to control the activities of other countries on the so-called Arctic route, which Putin proposes as an alternative to the Suez Canal.

The doctrine emphasizes that “important areas” in which the Russian fleet must guarantee national interests from an economic point of view and national and strategic security are: the Black and Azov Seas; eastern Mediterranean; The Baltic and the region of the Kuril Islands (whose sovereignty is claimed by Japan), and the axes of maritime communications with the continents of Asia and Africa.

Another priority is to strengthen the potential of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and strengthen the naval infrastructure of the annexed Crimean Peninsula and the Krasnodar Territory.

In the future, the Russian Navy also wants to guarantee uninterrupted access to the Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad, which is currently heavily dependent on land transit of goods through the Baltic states.

Both Navy aircraft carriers and large-tonnage ships for Arctic exploration will be built at future shipyards in Russia’s Far East, with Vladivostok as its capital, the doctrine says, which replaces the doctrine approved in 2015 after the annexation of Crimea, which significantly worsened relations between Insert and West.

“We openly marked the borders and zones of national interests Russiaboth economic and strategic, which are vital,” Putin said, speaking at the Day of the Navy in St. Petersburg.

“We will firmly and by all means guarantee their protection,” he added.

(EFE)