Russia announced Wednesday, November 24 its intention to strengthen its armed forces in response to "
growing activity
" of NATO at its borders, against the backdrop of tensions between Moscow and the West over Ukraine.
Read alsoUkraine at gunpoint as Russia masss troops at its border
"
The difficult military and political situation in the world and the growing activity of NATO countries near the Russian borders impose the need to continue the qualitative development of the armed forces
", declared the Russian Minister of Defense, Sergei Choïgou, quoted by the public agency Ria Novosti.
According to him, these include "
increasing their combat effectiveness, maintaining the combat readiness of nuclear forces and enhancing the potential of non-nuclear deterrents
".
New tensions in an already stormy climate
Sergueï Choïgou underlined the current modernization of the Russian army, in the process of being equipped with "
high precision weapons, effective means of destruction, modern weapons and equipment
". Russia has not ceased for years to denounce the deployment of NATO troops at its borders and the ambition of countries that it considers to be part of its sphere of influence - Ukraine and Georgia - to join the Atlantic Alliance.
The announcements come as tensions are still high around the conflict in Ukraine, where Kiev forces have been fighting pro-Russian separatists in the east since 2014.
Several Western countries have recently expressed concern about "
unusual
" Russian troop movements across the border with Ukraine.
These accusations have been described as "
hysteria
" by the Kremlin, which denies any bellicose intent.
Read alsoBetween Russia and NATO, the climate is deteriorating further
Russia has been engaged for years in a costly plan to modernize both nuclear and conventional forces.
She boasts of having developed new weapons she says are “
invincible
”, such as the Avangard and Zircon hypersonic missiles.
