The Russian president said on Wednesday that the country will increase its military potential. In a meeting with high military ranks, Vladimir Putin said that “the strategic forces will be equipped with the most modern weapons”.
“Today virtually all NATO countries are fighting against Russia,” Putin declared, ensuring the “security of Russian citizens.”
He assured that “Russian soldiers will fulfill all objectives, namely in the new territories”. “The number and quality of our weapons is increasing daily,” he said.
“The Military-Industrial Commission must solve the main problems of the military-industrial complex and the armed forces, supply troops with weapons, continue to improve military readiness to defend Russia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and maintain the balance of forces in the world,” Putin said.
Speaking to Russia’s military leaders, Putin also said the country would also continue to “improve the combat readiness” of the “nuclear triad”, referring to the air, sea and land components of the nuclear forces.
He stated that “all plans” for modernizing intercontinental missiles will be carried out. “We will continue to develop missiles that have never been seen in the world,” stated to mention that “one of the Russian frigates will be equipped with weapons never seen before”.
The Russian leader highlighted the new Zircon hypersonic cruise missile, which Russian troops can use from January. “Early January, the frigate Admiral Gorshkov will be equipped with the new Zircon hypersonic missile, which has no equivalent in the world,” Putin said.
The Zircon cruise missile, which can reach nine times the speed of sound, belongs to a new family of weapons developed by Russia, such as the Kinjal ballistic missile.
However, Putin acknowledged some problems with partial mobilization and admitted that changes had to be made to the recruiting centers.
He said that soldiers must have the necessary equipment, that there are no limits on the funding of the armed forces and that aerial drones must be produced.
“It is in the unity of the people and the armed forces that our strength lies,” Putin said.
The Russian defense minister wants to increase the number of military personnel to 1.5 million and raise the age limit for military service
During the same meeting with senior military officials, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Moscow planned to use two Ukrainian ports on the Sea of Azov that Russian forces captured during the offensive.
“The ports of Berdyansk and Mariupol are fully operational. We plan to install bases for Navy support ships, rescue and emergency services and naval repair units,” said Shoigu.
The defense minister, who said Russia was fighting “the combined forces of the West” in Ukraine, also suggested increasing the size of the armed forces to 1.5 million troops and raising the age limit for military service.
“To ensure the performance of tasks to ensure the military security of Russia, it is necessary to increase the number of military personnel to 1.5 million, of which 695,000 are under contract,” he justified.
Putin said he agreed to the troop expansion after signing a decree in August that had already increased the number of combat personnel to 1.15 million by January 1.
The President of Russia also stated that NATO assets used in operations in Ukraine to fight Russian forces are known.
“You have all this, and all this must be thoroughly analyzed and used to build up our armed forces, to increase the combat capacity of our troops and patriotic security services,” he said.
“You fight, and I am not afraid of these comparisons, (…) like the heroes of the War of 1812, the First World War and the Great Patriotic War,” he added, referring to the period in the latter case of World War II between the Nazi attack on the Soviet Union and Germany’s capitulation.
Putin called for a minute of silence for the fallen Russians in Ukraine.
With Lusa
Source: DN
