Vladimir Putin orders increase in share of modern weaponry

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that the nation's share of modern weaponry among its nuclear deterrent forces must reach nearly 90 per cent in 2021.

"It is absolutely unacceptable to stand still. The rate of change in relation to all critical spheres within the armed forces is unusually high," the Kremlin cited the president as saying during the annual session of the Defense Ministry Board.

"This is why in 2021, with regard to the nuclear deterrent force, we must reach a level of modernization" that hits 88.3 percent, he added.

He further noted that the share of modernised equipment within the general-purpose forces should reach close to 76 per cent in 2024, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Putin stressed that the country has developed a strong triad of nuclear forces and reached a sufficient level of nuclear deterrence that can guarantee Russia's security, adding that the share of modernised equipment within its general-purpose forces has reached 70 per cent by mid-December of this year, and 86 per cent within the nuclear deterrent forces. (IANS)

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