MOSCOW, April 12. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has confirmed Russia’s determination to push ahead with its lunar program.

When asked by cosmonauts during a visit to the pavilion Kosmos (Space) at the VNDKh exhibition center if a manned mission to the Moon was on Russia’s future agenda, he replied with an unequivocal "Yes, it is."

"As you may know the program extends up to 2030," he went on to say. "The finishing touches are being put to the spacecraft Federatsiya and research and development is on for building a super-heavy rocket to be used for the lunar program. So there can be no doubts we will be working actively and implementing this program."

Putin recalled that in the first phase a space station would be created in the Moon’s orbit.

"A Moon orbiter will come first. Then modules on the Moon itself will emerge. At least that’s what the plans are," Putin said. "I hope they will come true.