INTERNATIONAL: President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday has attended via video-link a flag-raising ceremony of two new nuclear-powered missile submarines joining Russian navy.

Putin has congratulated Russian naval forces and noted in his speech that it was an essential milestone in their history.

'Knyaz Oleg' is a Borei-class submarine armed with ballistic missiles 'Bulava', while 'Novosibirsk' is a Yasen-class submarine equipped with cruise missiles 'Caliber' and 'Onyx' which can hit sea targets and deliver precision strikes on ground targets, Putin said. The submarines are the first of the Yasen-M and Borei-A class series.

Nuclear-powered submarine Knyaz Oleg, a Project 955-A Borei-A class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, was laid down in July 2014 and launched in July 2020. The submarine was designed by Rubin Central Design Bureau. In January this year, the company was contracted to build two more Borei-A ballistic missile submarines for the Russian Navy.

^{PHOTO: RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN PARTICIPATING IN FLAG-RAISING CEREMONY VIA VIDEO LINK DURING BOARD MEETING OF RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY/ FLAG-RAISING CEREMONY ON MISSILE SUBMARINES IN SEVERODVINSK}