Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, stated on Wednesday that his troops’ struggle in Ukraine might be won faster with more potent and sophisticated weaponry.
The head of the Kremlin praised recent military victories and declared that Russia’s army was making progress on all fronts while putting pressure on Moscow to step up and modernize domestic armaments manufacturing.
“We have said many times that whoever is quicker to master the newest means of armed combat wins. We have to be one step ahead,” Putin told Russia’s military leaders, including new Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, in a televised meeting.
“We have everything we need for this, and much has been done, but we need to double and triple our efforts in this area,” he added.
Putin was having his first public meeting with economist and longtime Kremlin advisor Belousov since the latter took over as Russia’s military chief unexpectedly, replacing Sergei Shoigu.
Shoigu, in his new capacity as head of the Security Council, army generals, and other government representatives in charge of the armaments sector and production were also present during the discussions.
Putin has emphasized the significance of outproducing Ukraine more and more, viewing Moscow’s burgeoning domestic armaments sector as the route to triumph.
“We need, without any exaggeration, to do even more. Although a lot has been done, even more needs to be done in the defence production sector,” Putin said.
More advanced weapons would not only bring victory closer, Putin said, but also reduce Russian casualties.
“The more effective the means of destruction, the more accurate they are, the more powerful they are, the fewer losses we have. This is a key issue in armed combat,” he said.
Moscow’s troops launched a major ground assault on Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region last week, seeking to stretch the front line to press its advantage in manpower and ammunition.
“Starting from this year, in all directions our troops are constantly, every day, improving their positions,” Putin said.