 |
| Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousova speaks at a Defense Ministry meeting, yesterday. National Defense Control Center, Moscow, Russia | Photo: Reuters |
Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousova has said that Moscow must be ready to fight with the NATO military alliance in Europe over the next decade.
Andrei Belousova, speaking at a meeting at the National Defense Control Center in Moscow on Monday, which was also attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, said he believed the war in Ukraine was turning in Russia's favor.
Putin's defense chief, Andrei Belousova, cited a NATO summit held last July and the military ideologies of the United States and other NATO members as evidence that Moscow must be more firmly prepared for direct confrontation with the alliance in the coming years.
At the meeting, Belousova said that the Defense Ministry is operating based on ensuring full readiness for any medium-term situation, including a possible conflict with NATO in Europe in the next decade.
Since taking over as Defense Minister, Andrei Belousova has initiated sweeping reforms and changes. He previously said that these changes are necessary. He is moving forward with these reforms taking into account the nature of future military conflicts.
During the meeting, Belousova discussed the US nuclear modernization plan, the opening of a US missile defense base in Poland, NATO's new war preparedness plan, and plans announced at the NATO summit to deploy US medium-range missiles in Germany in 2026.
The Russian Defense Minister said the United States could soon add hypersonic missiles (missiles that travel faster than sound) to its arsenal. The missiles would take just eight minutes to reach Russia from the United States.
At the same meeting, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that a large number of people are volunteering to fight against Ukraine with the army. Because of this, the war in Ukraine is turning in Russia's favor. Various open-source maps online show that Russian troops are currently advancing faster into Ukraine than in 2022.
Putin said that the Russian troops are firmly holding on to their positions and strategic plans. This year alone, 189 populated areas have been liberated. He also said that this year, about 430,000 Russian citizens have signed contracts to join the army. Last year, this number was 300,000. This means that the number of people interested in joining the army has increased significantly.