Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said Russia will continue developing its military potential and boosting the combat readiness of its nuclear arsenal against the backdrop of Moscow’s offensive in Western-backed Ukraine.

“The armed forces and combat capabilities of our armed forces are increasing constantly and every day. And this process, of course, we will build up on,” Putin said during a televised meeting with his country’s high-ranking officers.

“Today, our goal is to implement the entire scope of necessary measures to achieve a qualitative renewal and improvement of the armed forces,” Putin said at an expanded meeting of the Russian Defence Ministry Board.

He ordered the military to maintain and improve the combat readiness of the nuclear triad, which is “the main guarantee that our sovereignty and territorial integrity, strategic parity and the general balance of forces in the world are preserved.”

The Russian leader highlighted the new Zircon hypersonic cruise missile, which Russian troops will be able to use beginning in January.

“In early January, the Admiral Gorshkov frigate will be equipped with the new Zircon hypersonic missile, which has no equivalent in the world,” Putin said.
He said that the level of modern armaments in Russia’s strategic nuclear forces has exceeded 91 per cent, and ‘we will carry out all of our plans’ to equip the strategic forces with the latest weapon systems.

Putin also stressed the importance of increasing the numbers of fighters and bombers operating in the zone covered by modern air defence systems, and called it ‘a pressing task’ to upgrade drones.

Presenting a report at the meeting, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu proposed to increase the number of the Russian armed forces to 1.5 million servicemen, including 695,000 contract soldiers.

“It is necessary to increase the number of armed troops to 1.5 million servicemen, including 695,000 contract soldiers,” Shoigu told Putin, who ‘agreed’ with the proposals, at a defence meeting.

Shoigu also said Russian servicemen in Ukraine are fighting “the combined forces of the West” there.

Shoigu also said Moscow plans to use the two Ukrainian port cities on the Sea of Azov that its troops seized during the ongoing offensive.