Vladimir Putin: And has the submarine made underwater launches?

Sergei Shoigu: Yes, Mr President, the submarine made underwater launches because in May you gave instructions to test our new weapons in all environments where it can be used – in the air and in water. We launched Caspian Flotilla missiles from the sea. Now, we have tried and demonstrated real launches of missiles from the Mediterranean against real targets. We warned our colleagues in Israel and the United States that we would conduct these launches today. Before that, this vessel made surface launches in the northern seas, the Northern Fleet.

From the Hmeymim airfield, we actively worked on territories where militants who shot our pilot are based. As a result, all these areas have been liberated, and the Syrian Army’s special operation forces…

Vladimir Putin: Searching for the crew?

Sergei Shoigu: Yes. The Syrian service members searched the territory, detected our aircraft’s crash site, and all these bandits were leaving so fast they did not have time to take anything from the aircraft, so we discovered a parametric recorder, which we brought here and which I would like to show you.

Vladimir Putin: With regard to strikes from a submarine. We certainly need to analyse everything that is happening on the battlefield, how the weapons work. Both the Calibre missiles and the Kh-101 rockets are generally showing very good results. We now see that these are new, modern and highly effective high-precision weapons that can be equipped either with conventional or special nuclear warheads.

Naturally, we do not need that in fighting terrorists, and I hope we will never need it.