ISW explains Russia's Navy Day link to coalition plans against West

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported the information.

The naval parade in St. Petersburg featured ships from China, Algeria, and India. Representatives from 31 states attended the events, including Azerbaijan, Cuba, Libya, Myanmar, Syria, Qatar, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, and Vietnam.

The Institute notes that Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin met with Commander of the PLA Navy Hu Zhongming and discussed cooperation between Russia and the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the naval sphere.

Fomin also met with Myanmar’s Navy Commander Win Htein to discuss further naval cooperation between Myanmar and Russia.

In turn Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also met with Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan in Kuala Lampur on July 28 and agreed to increase Russian–Malaysian diplomatic contacts.

The ISW also emphasizes that Russia has recently intensified its cooperation with a number of these states, including Venezuela, Cuba, India, and Vietnam.

Background. The Russian Navy Day is an annual holiday of “sea power” to celebrate the Russian Navy. Although the event was popular in the 1970s, it was canceled in 1980 until 2017, when Russian leader Vladimir Putin reinstated it as a public holiday.

Although the celebrations take place throughout Russia, the main event takes place in St. Petersburg, where Russian ships parade down the Neva River to the Kronstadt naval base.

• Russia has canceled the 2024 Navy Day parade because it cannot guarantee full protection of its forces.