True story remains untold

We are glad that The Nation attaches importance to news about Russia, but the fact that it never uses Russian sources, which it has access to, is upsetting.
We share the author’s concern about the state of the Russian navy, but it is not as bad as stated in the article. At the same time we need to remind readers that the Russian defence budget is a dozen times less than that of the US and Nato and our doctrine is defensive, not offensive. It is surprising that the author accuses the Kremlin of war games on Nato borders. That gives the impression that it is Russia shifting its borders to the West, not Nato expanding East. 
In fact it is Nato that is playing war games, and undertakes reconnaissance flights near the Russian border, it is Nato that deploys troops in Eastern Europe and Baltic States, it is Nato which conducts naval exercises in the Black Sea. You will not remember any big Russian military drills near the shores of Western Europe.
We can assure everyone who worries about the state of the Russian navy that its development programme and financing are enough to meet all challenges.
Evgeny Tomikhin
Russian Ambassador to Thailand