Russian President Vladimir Putin extended greetings to Indian Navy personnel aboard INS Tabar on Sunday, as the vessel participated in Russia’s Navy Day celebrations. The event, held on the Neva River in St. Petersburg, saw Putin reviewing the Main Naval Parade and congratulating Russian Navy sailors.
Since its inception in 2017, the parade has honored the Navy’s contributions to national defense. This year’s parade featured 20 Russian surface ships, gunboats, four sailing vessels, and a submarine. Foreign participants included India’s INS Tabar, Algeria’s training ship Soummam, and China’s destroyer Jiaozuo. Approximately 2,500 troops also marched in St. Petersburg.
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INS Tabar Greeted By Vladimir Putin On Russia’s Navy Day
The Mumbai-based Talwar-class frigate was born not far from St. Petersburg, where today’s celebrations were taking place.
Captain Mahesh Mangipudi and his crew’s ship was commissioned on April 19, 2004 in the Russian city… pic.twitter.com/FNxyzDMxyx
— RT_India (@RT_India_news) July 28, 2024
The Indian Navy, in a statement, emphasized that INS Tabar’s visit underscores the maritime cooperation between India and Russia, aligning with India’s “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” policy, which means “the world is one family.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently visited Russia, where he met with President Putin. During this visit, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held discussions with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, stressing the need for a “just and enduring peace” in Ukraine, as stated by the US State Department.
These discussions follow Modi’s visit to Russia and come amid reports of his planned visit to Ukraine by the last week of August. This visit would mark Modi’s first to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022, a move that reportedly left Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy “disappointed.”
INS Tabar: A Stealth Frigate Built for India in Russia
INS Tabar, a stealth frigate of the Indian Navy, was built in Russia. Commissioned in 2004 in Kaliningrad, the Talwar-class frigate boasts a versatile range of weapons and sensors. As one of the earliest stealth frigates in the Indian Navy, INS Tabar is an integral part of the Western Fleet and is based in Mumbai under the Western Naval Command.
This latest participation in Russia’s Navy Day celebrations highlights the continued strong maritime ties between India and Russia, showcasing the capabilities and contributions of INS Tabar on an international stage.