Sergei Shoigu told lawmakers today that the sweeping military modernisation program will continue at a high pace this year. Amid tensions with the West, the Kremlin has continued to spend big on new weapons despite Russia's economic downturn.
Shoigu said the military will complete the formation of three new divisions in the nation's west and southwest, and also deploy a new division on the Pacific Islands, which have been claimed by Japan.
He said Russia has now deployed new long-range early warning radars to survey the airspace along the entire length of its borders.