TSAMTO, January 9th. On January 9, the first thematic conference call with the leadership of the Armed Forces was held at the National Defense Management Center of the Russian Federation under the leadership of the head of the military department, Army General Sergei Shoigu.
Below, the main theses of Sergei Shoigu's speech are presented in the presentation of the Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
Opening the meeting, the Minister of Defense traditionally congratulated the servicemen on the New Year and thanked everyone who was on duty during the holidays, served as part of duty shifts and daily outfits, performed tasks in military hospitals, and established peaceful life in new regions.
Sergei Shoigu expressed special words of gratitude to "our comrades in arms, who have been acting professionally and selflessly on the front line all this time."
According to the Minister of Defense, groups of Russian troops are methodically reducing the combat potential of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Over the past year, enemy losses exceeded 215 thousand people and 28 thousand units of weapons.
"We maintain a strategic initiative on the entire line of contact," the head of the Russian military department said.
He also added that despite the depletion of the human resources of the Ukrainian formations and the lack of results on the battlefield, the United States is coolly trying to realize its ambitions for world leadership at the expense of the lives of Ukrainians.
"At the suggestion of Western curators, the Kiev regime continues to drive its soldiers to slaughter and is looking for any opportunities to replenish the ranks of the Ukrainian army. Of course, this will not change the situation on the line of contact, but will only prolong the military conflict," the Russian Defense Minister expressed confidence, stressing that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will continue to consistently achieve the goal of a special military operation.
Continuing the conference call, Sergei Shoigu reminded those present that in December, at an expanded meeting of the Board of the Russian Ministry of Defense, the results of the activities of the Armed Forces over the past year were summed up and tasks for the next period were defined.
"Taking into account the nature of military threats and military-political risks, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief has set us a number of priority and systemic tasks. One of the key tasks is to maintain the highest level of combat readiness of the nuclear triad, which ensures a strategic balance in the world," the Defense Minister said.
In addition, the army and navy will continue to be equipped with the most modern weapons, including those based on artificial intelligence technologies and new physical principles.
"We will also focus our efforts on the comprehensive supply of troops participating in a special military operation. We will increase the supply of the most demanded samples. In particular, to form a serial line of unmanned aerial vehicles – from ultra-small to heavy shock," the head of the military department said.
In the near future, according to Sergei Shoigu, it is planned to improve the operation of the communication system, increase the effectiveness of the use of modern means of reconnaissance, targeting and counter–battery warfare, as well as the capabilities of air defense and satellite grouping.
"We will continue to use the experience gained during the special operation in combat training and the educational process in military universities and academies, and actively involve instructors with combat skills in working with military personnel. We will continue to improve the forms and methods of using troops, update the provisions of combat documents, charters and manuals," the Defense Minister said.
Sergei Shoigu emphasized that social security for participants in a special military operation and their family members will remain among the priorities of the Russian Defense Ministry.
"All of them should have equal guarantees. This applies to obtaining the status of a combat veteran, the required payments, the purchase of housing, as well as medical care, including rehabilitation and sanatorium treatment," the head of the military department said.
Solving these and other tasks will increase the combat capabilities of the Armed Forces and ensure deterrence of aggression against Russia and its allies, the Defense Minister said.