Putin orders to take account of Ukraine war ‘experience' in new Russian armament plan

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered that lessons from the ongoing war in Ukraine be fully integrated into the country's new long-term state armament program, underlining the need to adapt to global military trends and strengthen Russia's nuclear and conventional forces.

“Our task is to formulate a new long-term program for the entire range of systems and types of weapons, including promising ones, making maximum use of the experience of the special military operation, various regional conflicts, and global trends in military technologies,” Putin said at a meeting in Moscow.

He called for a particular focus on the nuclear triad, which he described as “a guarantee of Russia's sovereignty,” noting that modern weapons now account for 95% of the triad — the highest share globally.

Putin also stressed that Russia must increase the capabilities of its ground forces several times over in the shortest possible time and ordered that bases and airfields be prepared in advance to accommodate new weapons systems so they are not deployed “in an open field.”