Russian military to focus on increasing combat capabilities in 2015

The Russian armed forces will focus on increasing combat capabilities in all strategic directions in 2015, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday.

"We are going to work out a new defense plan for 2016-2020 and to ensure strict implementation of the state defense orders for 2015," he told a teleconference meeting, adding that unanticipated checks of combat preparedness should continue in 2015.

This year, the Russian armed forces will receive 701 armored vehicles, two Iskander-M missile systems, 126 aircraft, 88 helicopters, two submarines and five surface warships, said the minister.

"Almost 700 types of component parts of armaments and military hardware which used to be made in collaboration with Ukrainian plants will have to be replaced by the end of the year," said Shoigu.

"This is practically 60 percent of the total number, which means we are due to achieve practically 70 percent level of import substitution by the end of 2015," he was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency.

Shoigu also said that this year residents of Crimea will be enlisted in the Russian army for the first time after the peninsula's integration into Russia last March, adding that the number of contract servicemen from Crimea will amount to 1,700.

On Jan. 2, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to recognize the validity of documents on military service for Russian nationals in Crimea. Endi