Kyiv: The Kremlin has warned that increasing US arms supplies to Ukraine will exacerbate the devastating 10-month war ignited by the Russian invasion, and Russia’s defense minister called for Moscow’s army to be expanded by at least 500,000 people.
In a meeting with his military top, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow would learn lessons from the conflict to “develop our armed forces and strengthen the capacity of our troops”. He said special attention would be given to the development of nuclear forces, which he described as “the main guarantor of Russia’s sovereignty”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, earlier this month.Credit:AP
The bullish rhetoric from Moscow came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met President Joe Biden in Washington, where US officials announced a massive new military aid package for Kiev.
Putin also said that the Russian army’s new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile will be commissioned soon. The Sarmat is intended to replace obsolete Soviet-built ballistic missiles and form the core of Russia’s nuclear forces. Putin praised his ability to evade missile defenses.
Putin added that Russia would deploy more hypersonic weapons and noted that the first warship equipped with state-of-the-art Zircon hypersonic missiles will be commissioned by the navy next month.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the country needed a force of 1.5 million “to fulfill tasks to ensure Russia’s security”. He did not say when the army would reach that size.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, speaks with Chief of General Staff General Valery Gerasimov, left, and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, after meeting with senior military officers in Moscow.Credit:AP
The reinforced army would include 695,000 volunteer contract soldiers, 521,000 of whom should be recruited by the end of 2023. The Russian military had about 400,000 contract soldiers as part of its 1 million member army before invading Ukraine compared to the Chinese military. strength of 2 million and the US strength of about 1.4 million. India also has over 1.4 million soldiers.
All Russian men aged 18 to 27 are required to serve one year in the military, but many use study deferrals and health exemptions to avoid conscription. Shoigu said the enlistment age range would be changed to 21 to 30, and the recruits would be given a choice between serving one year as conscripts or signing a contract with the military as volunteers.