MOSCOW (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that 95% of Russia’s strategic nuclear forces had been modernised and that the Air Force had just taken delivery of four new supersonic nuclear-capable bombers.
Putin made the comments in a statement released to coincide with Russia’s annual Defender of the Fatherland Day, which celebrates the army, a day after he flew on a modernised Tu-160M nuclear-capable strategic bomber.
The Russian leader praised soldiers fighting in Ukraine in what he called a “special military operation”, hailing them as heroes battling for “truth and justice.”
But he devoted much of his speech to what he said were the achievements of the military-industrial complex.
His message: that Russia’s nuclear triad – its strategic land, sea and air nuclear capabilities – were up to date, being constantly modernised, and in good order.
“Incorporating our real combat experience, we will continue to strengthen the Armed Forces in every possible way, including ongoing re-equipping and modernisation efforts,” Putin said.
“Today, the share of modern weapons and equipment in the strategic nuclear forces has already reached 95 percent, while the naval component of the ‘nuclear triad’ is at almost 100 percent,” he added.
(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
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