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National Defense Centre to be created in Russia in 2014

MOSCOW, January 14 (Itar-Tass) - In 2014, Russia’s Defense Ministry will go ahead with efforts to establish a National Defense Centre, develop military infrastructure in Russia's Arctic regions and provide security at the Olympic Games in Sochi, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu told a teleconference on Tuesday.

“We should concentrate our main efforts on establishing the National Defense Centre and making its fully operational,” he said. “I would like to remind you that the president signed a decree at the end of last year on the creation of a such centre and regulations for its construction.”

“There is much work to do at the level of the armed forces control, beginning with systematic personnel training and ending with establishment of a command system using the most advanced technologies,” Shoigu said.

The Russian military’s major task for this year remains the development of military infrastructures in the Arctic and security at the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, the minister said.

“We will certainly continue the practice of surprise operational readiness tests,” he said. “And there are also plans to hold regular military drills, including the large-scale Vostok-2014 strategic exercises.”

Shoigu said the Defense Ministry should pay special attention to training contract servicemen. This year the ministry will continue rotating military personnel at warehouses and bases.

“We have substantial reserves, which can be decreased this year. I am referring to about 15,000 military men who can be used for better and clearer purposes,” he said, speaking about the further development of military logistics infrastructures.

Shoigu also added that the Defense Ministry had already started preparations for the celebration of the 70th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.

Terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall

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