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Russian Armed Forces received 6,600 new weapons in 2020 - Defense Minister

Those include, in particular four S-400 Triumf missile air defense regiment kits, two Buk-M3 missile air defense division kits, the Knyaz Vladimir nuclear sub cruiser with Bulava ballistic missiles, the Admiral Kasatonov frigate the Pyotr Morgunov landing ship, the Volkhov submarine, Gremyaschy and Aldar Tsydenzhapov corvettes

Buk-M3 surface-to-air missile system Sergei Fadeichev/TASS

Buk-M3 surface-to-air missile system

© Sergei Fadeichev/TASS

MOSCOW, January 29. /TASS/. Russian Armed Forces received over 6,600 new weapons in 2020, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu disclosed Friday.

"Despite the pandemic, we managed to promptly adjust our military industrial enterprises’ operation and ensure the pre-determined tempo of state defense order fulfillment. During the last year, the Russian Army received over 6,600 units of weapons, military and specialized vehicles," Shoigu said.

Those include, in particular "four S-400 Triumf missile air defense regiment kits, two Buk-M3 missile air defense division kits, the Knyaz Vladimir nuclear submarine cruiser with Bulava ballistic missiles, the Admiral Kasatonov frigate the Pyotr Morgunov landing ship, the Volkhov submarine, Gremyaschy and Aldar Tsydenzhapov corvettes," the Minister noted.

Last year, the Armed Forces also received a silo-based strategic missile complex and two Yars mobile strategic missile systems, as well as 10 Su-35S jet fighters, Su-57 fifth generation jet, 10 upgraded MiG-31BM interceptors, five upgraded Tu-95MS strategic missile platforms, and 220 armored combat vehicles, Shoigu disclosed.

"In October and November last year, we carried out successful trials of the world’s first water-based hypersonic cruise missile, the Zircon. Its flight speed was Mach 8," the Minister said.

He added that the level of modernization of the Russian Strategic Nuclear Forces is now 86%.

"Thanks to shipment of new and upgrade weapons, the level of modernization of our conventional forces is now 70%, while in strategic nuclear forces this figure is now 86%," Shoigu said, adding that the new vehicles have entered heavy use, participating in combat readiness inspections, drills and training.

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