MOSCOW, June 30. /TASS/. Production of S-500 surface-to-air missile systems begins in Russia. These systems will soon enter operational service in the Russian army, CEO of Russia’s Rostec state-run hi-tech corporation Sergei Chemezov said on Sunday.

"New state-of-the-art weapons are being developed. So, once we can already sell S-400 systems, we now begin to manufacture S-500 systems. These are more updated systems. I’d prefer not to tell about them now, they are not yet operational. I think they will enter service very soon," he said in an interview with the Deistvuyushchiye Litsa (Political Actors) with Nailya Asker-zade program on the Rossiya-1 television channel.

When asked when these state-of-the-art missile systems enter operational service, he said, "When trials are over."

In his words, the S-500 system’s range will be higher than that of S-400 systems.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov told journalists earlier in the week that S-500 surface-to-air missile defense systems would be delivered to troops earlier than initially planned after a series of successful tests. The troops are expected to receive them in the next few years.

Earlier, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that deliveries of S-500 surface-to air missile defense systems to the troops would begin in 2020. S-500 is being created with a possibility of operation in the next 25 years. Western newspapers and publications noted that the new Russian missile defense system had managed to hit a target at a range of 481.2 km, which is 80 km father than any other existing air defense missile system.