On May 30, 2025, russian President Vladimir Putin approved the russian Navy Strategy and Development plan. According to Nikolai Patrushev, a presidential aide and head of the russian Maritime Board which oversees shipbuilding, the plan reviews the current state of russia's naval capabilities, taking into consideration russia's experience in the war launched against Ukraine, the UK Defense Intelligence reports.
Russia's Strategy and Development plan will likely serve as a handrail for russian ship and submarine building, as well as naval procurement, for the next 25 years. The plan also highly likely emphasises the perceived milestones the russian Navy would need to reach to attempt to counter NATO maritime development and activity in accordance with russian doctrine.
Read more: The UK Defense Intelligence: Why russia Won't Back Iran in War with Israel
Since russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, highly effective Ukrainian operations have significantly constrained russia's naval capabilities in the Black Sea, particularly through Ukraine's use of anti-ship missiles and Unmanned Surface Vehicles.
Ukrainian forces have destroyed or damaged at least 24 russian vessels operating in the Black Sea. As a result, russia's Black Sea Fleet has been forced to move all of its major assets from its historic base in Sevastopol to Novorossiysk in the Eastern Black Sea.
As Defense Express previously reported, the current conflict between Israel and Iran presents russia with challenges and opportunities.
Russia is under no formal obligation to provide Iran with any military assistance in its conflict with Israel. The russia-Iran Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement signed in January 2025 covers cooperation across a range of areas including, defense and security, but does not include a mutual-defense clause. This is in contrast with russia's agreements with both the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Belarus.
Read more: The UK Defense Intelligence Reports on russia's Silent Casualties
