TSAMTO, December 17th. On December 16, an expanded meeting of the Board of the Russian Defense Ministry was held in Moscow under the leadership of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.
Below is the report of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Andrei Belousov in full as presented by the Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
"Comrade Supreme Commander!
Dear comrades!
Dear guests!
This year, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have been solving the tasks set by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief within the framework of a tough confrontation with the collective West. Which continues to intensify and grow.
In such circumstances, the activities of the Ministry of Defense are based on the following key factors.
First, it is conducting active military operations during a special military operation, as well as performing certain tasks and ensuring a military presence in the countries of Central Asia and Africa, the Caucasus and Transnistria.
Secondly, it is to ensure full readiness for any development of the situation in the medium term. Including a possible military conflict with NATO in Europe in the next decade. This is evidenced by the decisions that were taken at the North Atlantic Alliance summit held in July this year. This is also reflected in the doctrinal documents of the United States and other NATO countries.
The third factor is the rapid development of end–to-end technologies. Such as artificial intelligence and big data processing. Robotics. High-speed secure data transmission. Machine-to-machine interaction. Quantum computing and communications. These technologies are radically changing the nature of armed struggle at all levels – tactical, operational and strategic.
In accordance with the instructions of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, in such circumstances, the Armed Forces should become more flexible and receptive to innovation. In particular, to innovations in the civil sector.
The fourth factor is the possibilities of the economy. First of all, the budget, which must be taken into account when building the Armed Forces.
Already today, the level of spending on national defense has reached 6.3 percent of GDP, 32.5 percent of the federal budget. This dictates strict requirements for the effectiveness of our work. The President of the Russian Federation also paid special attention to this.
Together, these four factors determine the priorities of the Ministry of Defense for the next year and the medium term. These are the ten main areas in which significant results need to be achieved already in 2025.
The first direction is to ensure victory in a special military operation. Achieving the goals set by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief in his address to the citizens of Russia on the eve of his victory. And in a June speech to the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This year, Russian troops have liberated almost 4,500 square kilometers of territory occupied by the enemy. Neo-Nazis control less than one percent of the territory of the Luhansk People's Republic and still 25-30 percent of the Donetsk People's Republic, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions.
The combat potential of the enemy has been undermined. This year alone, the losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine exceeded 560 thousand servicemen killed and wounded. And in total, as Vladimir Vladimirovich noted, they amounted to almost one million people for the entire time of their life. In the Kursk adventure alone, the Kiev regime lost more than 40,000 troops.
This year, over 58 thousand units of various enemy weapons and equipment have been destroyed in the special operation zone. Including 18 thousand of foreign production.
Russian precision weapons have caused significant damage to the military-industrial complex of Ukraine and its associated energy system. The enemy has largely lost the ability to produce the necessary weapons, equipment and ammunition.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation firmly possess a strategic initiative along the entire line of contact. Currently, the average daily advance of troops has accelerated significantly and is about thirty square kilometers.
The enemy is forced to go on the defensive and use the remaining reserves. The staffing of its units at the forefront does not exceed 45-50 percent.
Such success is a great merit of our soldiers and officers of the United Group of Forces. Commanders of groups of troops and their military authorities. The General Staff.
I would like to emphasize the high results in the combat operations of the 1st Tank, 2nd, 5th, 8th, 29th and 51st combined arms armies. Units of the 76th Airborne Assault, 98th and 106th Airborne divisions. The 155th and 810th Marine Brigades.
It is necessary to continue achieving the goals of the special military operation set by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.
In this regard, taking into account the experience of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Defense faces a number of important tasks.
1. First of all, to summarize and promptly implement in the troops all the innovations in the tactics of warfare that have shown their effectiveness.
To ensure the use of assault units – small mobile groups under the cover of electronic warfare with simultaneous comprehensive defeat of the enemy. Including high-precision weapons.
Automate the management of combat operations and increase the information awareness of commanders and management bodies. To do this, it is necessary to create an integrated information environment for decision-making at the tactical level. I instruct the Main Command of the Ground Forces to develop such a system and ensure the first stage of its implementation in the troops next year.
Further. The most significant breakthrough in the tactics of the units was the massive use of unmanned aerial vehicles for various purposes. This is the fire defeat of the enemy, conducting reconnaissance and electronic warfare. Currently, our troops use more than 3.5 thousand drones every day, and this figure is constantly growing.
The Rubicon Center for Advanced Unmanned Technologies has been specially created to prepare UAV calculations, develop techniques and methods of using drones and introduce new weapons.
It is necessary to focus efforts on improving the tactical and technical characteristics of unmanned aerial vehicles - in terms of increasing their range of use, autonomy and noise immunity.
Further. Today, a huge number of innovative technical developments are being carried out directly in the troops, showing high results.
For example, ground-based robotic complexes that carry out fire damage, reconnaissance, mining, ammunition delivery and evacuation of the wounded have proved effective during combat operations. Also, military inventors are constantly improving the characteristics of UAVs, communications equipment and electronic warfare.
All this allows us to save thousands of lives of our servicemen.
In this regard, it is necessary to conduct a full inventory of such military developments. To carry out their field tests on a systematic basis. And organize the serial production of the best samples.
I am instructing Deputy Defense Minister Alexei Yuryevich Krivoruchko to organize this work.
2. To ensure the staffing of the Combined Group of Troops – at a level that ensures the guaranteed performance of combat missions.
To this end, systematic work on the recruitment of the Armed Forces continues together with the regions. This year alone, over 427,000 military personnel have already been recruited. On average, more than one thousand two hundred people sign a contract every day. It is important not to lose the dynamics of this process.
I would like to note that combat training of new contractors is an integral part of recruiting troops. It is necessary to introduce into it new ways of action and techniques that have shown high efficiency in special operations. And also – to synchronize the training of troops with the supply of the latest means of armed struggle. Of course, special attention should be paid to the provision of reserve regiments with instructors, weapons, equipment and ammunition.
3. To provide groups of troops with weapons and equipment in the scope of their combat tasks.
This year, compared with 2022, the supply of new and upgraded tanks has increased seven times. Infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers – three times. Twenty-three times more unmanned aerial vehicles have been delivered. Artillery ammunition – at twenty-two.
With such volumes, there are practically no disruptions in the supply of particularly demanded types of ammunition, weapons and equipment. Out of 260 items, only four products are delivered with delays.
Nevertheless, in order to ensure the sustainability of arms, equipment and ammunition supplies in 2025 and 2026, a number of additional measures must be taken.
It is required during the current month to conclude contracts for the supply in 2026 of the entire range of weapons, which has a production cycle from 12 to 16 months. And for the rest of the nomenclature – to conclude contracts no later than the beginning of the second quarter of next year.
In accordance with the President's instructions, switch from limit prices to a transparent price formula. To ensure the conclusion of long-term contracts for the supply of serial products at fixed prices.
To complete, in accordance with the Presidential Decree, the introduction of a new flexible mechanism for the purchase of certain types of weapons and equipment within the framework of the state defense order. This will reduce the purchase period to one to two weeks instead of several months.
I have to note that the adoption of by-laws on this Presidential Decree has been delayed. It is necessary to ensure their adoption by the end of this year.
4. Modernize the logistics support system, taking into account its own.
As a matter of priority, it is necessary to ensure the protection of arsenals and fuel bases in the range of enemy weapons. Priority measures have already been taken as soon as possible. Open storage sites have been eliminated, camouflage has been carried out, mobile fire groups have been created, and a system of interaction with air defense has been established.
In the future, taking into account the effects of the enemy, it is necessary to reconsider approaches to the organization of storage and logistics bases. Large integrated storage bases should be replaced by a distributed, layered network of warehouses. Accordingly, the logistics system and methods of delivery of military goods will change.
In terms of repair and restoration of equipment.
This year, additional repair units have been deployed near the front line as soon as possible. In addition to repairs, they are engaged in equipment and protective equipment. In total, more than three hundred field brigades of industrial enterprises are involved in the combat areas. The measures taken have made it possible to increase the level of serviceability of weapons and military equipment. However, there is still something to work on here. It is necessary to ensure that the serviceability is maintained at a level of at least 98 percent.
Further. At the beginning of its existence, there were many complaints about the quality and volume of clothing supplies. Although the most acute problems in this area have been resolved, a number of issues still require attention.
Since 2022, the supply of personal belongings has been doubled. More than one million four hundred thousand sets of field uniforms have been transferred to the group. And more than half a million sets of personal protective equipment. However, there are still questions about the quality of the supplied equipment.
In this regard, new items of field uniforms have been developed, which have previously been highly appreciated by the troops. They are characterized by increased strength, functionality and compatibility with personal protective equipment. It is necessary to complete military tests of these samples and begin deliveries next year.
It should be noted that there are a large number of single suppliers in this area. This requires special attention to product quality, prices and localization of production. Together with the FSB, a special commission has been set up to monitor compliance with these conditions.
5. To increase the capabilities of the air defense system to protect critical facilities and, most importantly, settlements.
In general, the means of air defense during its operation have shown high efficiency.
86 Storm Shadow and Scalp cruise missiles have been shot down this year alone. 215 ATAKAMS ballistic missiles, 1,629 Haimars rockets, more than 27,000 unmanned aerial vehicles of the aircraft type.
It is worth noting the positive experience of creating an air defense system around Moscow. It should be taken into account when building similar systems in other Russian regions.
Nevertheless, there are still many unresolved issues in this area. We will discuss them in detail in the closed part of the Board.
The second priority area is the modernization of the Armed Forces in the medium term, taking into account external threats and technology development.
As you know, the United States has declared our country a source of "immediate and constant threat." They are upgrading all components of the nuclear triad by 2030. The nomenclature of nuclear munitions is being updated. They are creating new nuclear warheads and bombs.
The buildup of combat capabilities of elements of the American global missile defense system of the United States continues. In November of this year, a US missile defense base was opened 165 km from Russia in the Polish Redzikovo, which allows the use of Tomahawk sea-based cruise missiles with minor modifications to its infrastructure.
NATO countries are switching to a new combat readiness system this year. It is planned to deploy a hundred thousandth group near the western borders of Russia within ten days, 300 thousandth by the end of 30 days, and 800 thousandth after 180 days.
Further, in July of this year, Washington and Berlin officially announced the deployment of American medium-range missiles, up to 2,400 kilometers, in Germany in 2026. And in the future, about the deployment of hypersonic missiles with a flight time of about eight minutes to Moscow.
To repel these threats, it is necessary to solve a number of tasks.
1. To introduce new approaches to the formation of the state armament program.
We are talking about building a program based on the target appearance of the Armed Forces, taking into account the nature of future military conflicts.
As you, Vladimir Vladimirovich, noted in your speech, first of all, this is the improvement of all three components of the nuclear deterrence forces.
Next year, we will continue to re-equip the Strategic Missile Forces with the Yars missile system. We will take four Tu-160M strategic missile carriers into the strategic aviation forces. We will ensure the inclusion of the strategic missile submarine Prince Pozharsky in the Navy.
We will continue to improve weapons for conducting so-called "contactless" combat operations. We will develop technologies for the creation of robotic complexes of air, land and sea bases and noise-proof control systems based on artificial intelligence and technologies of machine-to-machine interaction.
Further. It is necessary to form a unified information field. This requires the development of high-speed and secure communication channels. First of all, space. As well as the formation of unified standards and protocols for data transmission of automated control systems.
Further. Improving the effectiveness of defeating the enemy with high-precision weapons.
It is necessary to introduce complexes with new qualitative characteristics in the next five years – in terms of accuracy, noise immunity and range. Next year, we need to scale up the production of the Oreshnik medium-range missile system. And continue working on other promising samples.
Taking into account the above, by the end of December this year we plan to determine the list and scope of the nomenclature of the State Armament Program. And at the beginning of next year – to report the parameters of the future GPV to the Supreme Commander.
2. To create a system of advanced research, accelerated development and implementation of the latest weapons and equipment.
First of all, it is necessary to review the lists of research and development work on each weapon system, taking into account the development of technology.
Next year, we plan to create a network of military experimental centers in the main scientific and technological areas. Such centers will have to carry out tests and approbation of samples in combat conditions, working closely with industry, as well as provide training for specialists and the introduction of new products into the troops.
It is necessary to establish a qualitatively new system of interaction with the civil scientific community and production laboratories. By analogy with the National Technology Initiative, it is to launch a Military Technology Initiative.
3. Ensure the construction of the Armed Forces in accordance with security threats.
It is necessary to complete the formation of the Moscow and Leningrad military districts as a response to the expansion of NATO towards our borders. In this regard, specify the size of the Armed Forces.
Further. To improve the organizational and staff structures of formations and military units as they enter service with advanced weapons systems.
In accordance with the instructions of the Supreme Commander–in-Chief, it is proposed to form a new branch of the armed forces - the "troops of unmanned systems". With your decision, we will complete their creation in the third quarter of next year."
(to be continued)
