Russian officials and some Western media and pundits have characterized the conflict in Ukraine as a proxy war between the West and Russia. The US and its allies have poured tens of billions of dollars' worth of military aid into Ukraine, trained tens of thousands of troops, and provided Kiev with intelligence and strategic level planning support.
The military potential of almost all NATO countries is being actively used against Russia, and Moscow must improve its knowledge and understanding of the Western bloc's weapons systems, experience and tactics to improve the fighting potential of the Russian military, President Vladimir Putin has said.
"It's well known that today the military potential and capabilities of almost all major NATO countries are being actively used against Russia," Putin said, speaking at a meeting with senior Russian Defense Ministry officials on Wednesday.
"All the information about NATO forces, the means which are actively used in the course of the special military operation [in Ukraine], to oppose us are well known. You have all this information before you, and it must be thoroughly analyzed, and used in the construction of our armed forces to increase the combat capabilities of the troops, as well as Russia's special services," Putin said.
Putin ordered the MoD and the General Staff to "carefully analyze" the "tremendous combat experience" gained in the course of the military operation in Ukraine, to "systematize it as quickly as possible and include it in programs and planning for the training of personnel, troops as a whole and supplying the forces with necessary equipment."
The president also pointed to the "significant resources" being spent by the United States and its allies on information and psychological warfare against Russia, including the publication of "thousands" of fake news stories in Western print and internet media and television, while covering up war crimes being carried out by the Ukrainian side.
Putin accused Moscow's geopolitical opponents of using "everything that isn't tied down" against Russia, including efforts to brainwash the population of Ukraine and other post-Soviet republics, in the aftermath of the collapse of the USSR in 1991. This process continues today, according to Putin. Russia, he said, had sought to become a part of the "civilized" world, but soon learned that it was "not expected there."
Strategic Balance
Russia will continue to build up its conventional military potential while also supporting and modernizing its nuclear triad, Putin said, referring to the latter as the main guarantee of the nation's sovereignty, and the means by which Russia helps preserve "strategic parity and the overall balance of power in the world."
"This year, the level of modern weapons systems within the strategic nuclear forces reached 91 percent. The re-equipment of the Strategic Missile Forces regiments with modern missile systems featuring the Avangard hypersonic warhead is continuing," Putin said. The president assured that the new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile will be introduced into service "in the near future."
Ukraine Conflict Shows Need for New Technologies
Praising the courage of the troops on the front lines in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Putin called on his colleagues to honor the memories of soldiers who have lost their lives with a minute of silence. The president stressed that the goals of the military operation will be met, and that the security of all of Russia's territories would be assured.
In connection with the military operation, Putin said that the conflict has demonstrated that the use of drone warfare has become "almost ubiquitous," and that Russia will have to arm itself with an interlinked arsenal of drones incorporated into every echelon, from companies and battalions to individual squads and platoons.
"In the near future, every individual soldier should have the opportunity to receive information transmitted from drones. We must push for this, strive for this," Putin said. "Targets need to be detected as quickly as possible, and information must be transmitted (immediately) to carry out strikes in real time."
Russia has the technical capabilities to realize this, the president believes, pointing to the defense sector's experience in developing unique underwater drones, a likely reference to the Poseidon nuclear-powered, nuclear-capable torpedo.
Turning to organizational problems, Putin called on the MoD to pay more attention to public criticism and initiatives for improving its work being floated by civilians, asking that the MoD take criticism into account and respond accordingly, in a timely matter. "It's clear that the reaction of people who see problems, (and problems in such large and complex work always appear) can be emotional, but it's necessary to listen to and hear out those who do not seek to hush up existing problems, but to contribute to their resolution."
West Seeks to Prolong Conflict in Ukraine as Much as Possible to Weaken Russia: Shoigu
The West seeks to prolong military operations in Ukraine as much as possible in order to weaken Russia, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Wednesday. "We are particularly concerned about the buildup of NATO’s forward presence near the borders of Russia and Belarus, as well as the desire of the West to prolong military operations in Ukraine as much as possible in order to weaken our country," Shoigu said at a collegium meeting at the Defense Ministry.
Russian armed forces continue to deliver precision strikes targeting the Ukrainian military command and control system, military enterprises and related facilities, and destroy the military potential of Kiev, Sergei Shoigu said.
Russian servicemen are being confronted by the joint forces of the West during its military operation in Ukraine, Shoigu said.
"Today, in Ukraine, Russian military is being confronted by the joint Western forces. The United States and its allies are pumping the Kiev regime with weapons, training military personnel, providing [Ukraine with] intelligence information, sending advisers and mercenaries, and waging an information and sanctions war against us," Shoigu said.
Russia is always open to constructive peace talks to settle the conflict in Ukraine, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu added.
"We are taking action to save the population from genocide and terror. Russia is always open to constructive peace talks," Shoigu said.
The 2014 coup in Kiev funded by the West that brought anti-Russian forces to power has caused the current conflict in Ukraine, Sergei Shoigu stressed.
"After the revelations of (ex-German Chancellor Angels) Merkel, (ex-Ukrainian President Petro) Poroshenko and other politicians about the true goals of the Minsk agreements, it became obvious to everyone that Russia was not the source of the conflict in Ukraine. The reason is the coup d'etat in Kiev financed by the West in 2014, which brought anti-Russian forces to power and divided the fraternal peoples. This provoked an armed confrontation in Donbass," Shoigu said.
Ukraine resorts to prohibited methods of confrontation, including terrorist attacks and contract killings, shelling of civilians with heavy weapons, as well as nuclear blackmail, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.
"The Ukrainian leadership resorts to prohibited methods of confrontation, including terrorist attacks and contract killings, shelling civilians with heavy weapons. Western countries try not to notice all this, as well as elements of nuclear blackmail, for example, provocations against the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant and scenarios for preparing the so-called dirty nuclear bomb," Shoigu said at a collegium meeting at the Defense Ministry.
The United States seeks to use the situation around Ukraine to maintain global dominance, Shoigu added.
"It is clear that the current situation is beneficial primarily to the United States, which seeks to use it to maintain global dominance and weaken other countries, including its allies in Europe," Shoigu said at a collegium meeting at the Defense Ministry.
The Russian armed forces are taking comprehensive measures to prevent civilian deaths in Ukraine, Sergei Shoigu said.
“In this context, comprehensive measures for excluding deaths among the civilian population are being taken,” he said at a collegium meeting at the Defense Ministry.
He also noted that the Russian army had been conducting precise air strikes against the military command and control system of Ukraine, enterprises of the Ukrainian defense industry complex and other related facilities.
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