Conflict in Ukraine, nuclear weapons... Vladimir Putin presents the objectives of the Russian army

Europe 1 with AFP 4:13 p.m., December 21, 2022, modified at 4:14 p.m., December 21, 2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that his country would continue to develop its military potential, including the "combat readiness" of its nuclear forces, in the midst of the conflict in Ukraine and crisis with Westerners.

"The armed forces and the combat capabilities of our armed forces are constantly increasing every day. And this process, of course, we will develop," Vladimir Putin said during a meeting with senior army officers.

“We will continue to maintain and improve the combat readiness of our nuclear triad,” he added.

For example, he announced the entry into service "at the beginning of January" of the new Russian hypersonic Zircon cruise missiles, which belong to the new family of weapons developed in recent years by Moscow.

The head of the Kremlin was speaking in front of an audience of senior officers, during a meeting supposed to set the objectives of the Russian army for the year 2023, while it is fully engaged in Ukraine.

One of the "priorities" will also be to "continue to lead the special operation (in Ukraine) until its tasks have all been fulfilled", declared Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

The latter also said that Moscow would deploy naval bases for "support ships, emergency rescue services and naval repair units" in the two occupied Ukrainian cities of Berdyansk and Mariupol.

Sergei Shoigu also assured that in Ukraine "the Russian military opposes the combined forces of the West".

"The growing presence of the West on our borders and those of Belarus, and the willingness of the West to prolong military operations in Ukraine as much as possible in order to weaken our country, are of particular concern," he said. added.

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