Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived on a surprise working visit to the Sakhalin region.
This is his first visit to the strategic Far Eastern region in 13 years, with his last visit there being in July 2013. The official purpose of the trip, confirmed by the Kremlin press service, is participation in the final stage of the large-scale exercises of the Pacific Fleet (TOF).
Military maneuvers in the Far East
The military exercises of the Russian Navy have been held since August 4 in the waters of the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk, as well as in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean. The maneuvers involved:
Over 13,000 military personnel. About 60 warships and submarines. Nearly 30 planes, helicopters and drones.At the airport in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Putin was met by the governor of the region, Valery Limarenko. Before landing on the island, the Russian head of state made consecutive working visits to Buryatia and Novosibirsk.
The analysis of the Western media
In parallel with the official agenda, the authoritative British publication The Times (thetimes.com) came out with a critical analysis of the Russian leader's frequent regional trips. According to political analysts quoted by the media, with these visits to various Russian cities Putin is trying to demonstrate closeness to the people and increase his personal popularity against the backdrop of ongoing economic and social tensions in the country. Western experts note that the long absence from key regions such as Sakhalin and the sudden return there is a well-calculated move to strengthen the domestic political image and legitimacy.
The TASS news agency (tass.ru) recalls that during his last visit to the island in 2013, Putin again inspected military exercises at the “Uspenovsky“ training ground and held a meeting on the economic development of the region.