Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia will keep working to improve its military capabilities, including making its nuclear weapons ready for combat.
"The armed forces and combat capabilities of our armed forces are increasing every day. And this process, of course, we will build upon," Putin said during a televised meeting with Russian senior officers on Wednesday. "Russia will also "improve the combat readiness of our nuclear triad."
Almost ten months into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, it has faced several defeats on the frontlines in Ukraine. Putin described the war as a "shared tragedy" but blamed the conflict on Ukraine and its allies, not Russia.
"What is happening is, of course, a tragedy – our shared tragedy. But it is not the result of our policy. It is the result of the policy of third countries," Putin claimed.
Russia to increase military personnel
Simultaneously on Wednesday, Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the country's military personnel must be enlargened from one million to five million amid the backdrop of Russia's war in Ukraine.
Shoigu said that increased personnel would include 695,000 volunteer contract soldiers, although he didn't announce when the military would achieve such an increase in numbers. He added that Russian forces would regroup in the western part of Russia due to Finland and Sweden joining NATO.
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Increasing its military force is unlikely to go down well with the population, which according to the British Ministry of Defence is dissatisfied with the mobilisation of the population.
Putin recently visted the Joint Headquarters of the "Special Military Operation" and filmed a meeting with senior military officers. According to the MoD, the choreographed meeting was orchestrated to show collective responsiblity of the war and deflect Putin's responsibility for military failure and high fatality rates.
