Putin Presides at Sub Launch

Russian President Vladimir V. Putin inaugurated a new nuclear submarine Tuesday at a northern shipyard during a trip that was clearly intended to boost the morale of this nation’s beleaguered navy.

Naval spirits have been sapped by the Kursk nuclear submarine disaster and the recent reshuffle of the Northern Fleet command. The service’s troubles could undermine Putin’s popularity, which rests in part on promises to restore Russia’s military might.

Arriving at the Sevmash plant in Severodvinsk, Putin walked briskly over to the Gepard submarine, handed a flag to its captain and welcomed the crew, who snapped to attention on the deck. The same shipyard built the Kursk, which sank during a naval exercise in August 2000, killing all 118 men aboard.

“I congratulate you on the launch of your submarine,” Putin said. “The navy has received a ship it can be proud of.”

Since the Soviet collapse, the Russian navy has struggled to find funds to maintain its ships and has had to scale back its modernization program. The construction of the Gepard, which began in 1991, had been stalled by a shortage of money.

Before heading to Severodvinsk, Putin used a Cabinet meeting Monday as an occasion to reaffirm his support for the military. Military spending must “have priority, even more so as we have worked out a serious and ambitious program of military reform,” he said.

“The government feels acute concern about the navy and its modernization,” Putin said in Severodvinsk. He promised funds for constructing several new submarines and surface ships.