Putin: Russian Navy to Receive 30 Combat Ships this Year

Putin reviews a naval display on the Neva River in Saint Petersburg
Putin reviews a naval display on the Neva River in Saint Petersburg
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Putin: Russian Navy to Receive 30 Combat Ships this Year

Putin reviews a naval display on the Neva River in Saint Petersburg
Putin reviews a naval display on the Neva River in Saint Petersburg

Russian President Vladimir Putin reviewed a parade of warships and nuclear submarines in his native St Petersburg on Sunday and announced that the Russian Navy would receive 30 new ships this year.

Putin, accompanied by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, the head of the Navy, inspected some of the ships from a launch boat on the Neva before making a speech.

"Today, Russia is confidently implementing the large-scale tasks of our national maritime policy and is consistently building up the strength of our Navy," said Putin, Reuters reported.

"This year alone, 30 ships of different classes are being added to the fleet," he said.

He made no substantive comments on what Russia calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine.



Israeli Government Orders Public Entities to Stop Advertising in Haaretz Newspaper

A woman reads the 13 February issue of the Haaretz daily newspaper in Jerusalem (AFP)
A woman reads the 13 February issue of the Haaretz daily newspaper in Jerusalem (AFP)
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Israeli Government Orders Public Entities to Stop Advertising in Haaretz Newspaper

A woman reads the 13 February issue of the Haaretz daily newspaper in Jerusalem (AFP)
A woman reads the 13 February issue of the Haaretz daily newspaper in Jerusalem (AFP)

The Israeli government has ordered all public entities to stop advertising in the Haaretz newspaper, which is known for its critical coverage of Israel’s actions in the Palestinian territories.
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said Sunday that the government had approved his proposal after Haaretz’ publisher called for sanctions against Israel and referred to Palestinian militants as “freedom fighters.”
“We advocate for a free press and freedom of expression, but also the freedom of the government to decide not to fund incitement against the State of Israel,” Karhi wrote on the social platform X.
Noa Landau, the deputy editor of Haaretz, accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “working to silence independent and critical media,” comparing him to autocratic leaders in other countries.
Haaretz regularly publishes investigative journalism and opinion columns critical of Israel’s ongoing half-century occupation of lands the Palestinians want for a future state.
It has also been critical of Israel’s war conduct in Gaza at a time when most local media support the war and largely ignore the suffering of Palestinian civilians.
In a speech in London last month, Haaretz publisher Amos Schocken said Israel has imposed “a cruel apartheid regime” on the Palestinians and was battling “Palestinian freedom fighters that Israel calls ‘terrorists.’”
He later issued a statement, saying he had reconsidered his remarks.
“For the record, Hamas are not freedom fighters,” he posted on X. “I should have said: using terrorism is illegitimate. I was wrong not to say that.”