Nuclear triad 'key' in Russia's military advancement efforts, says Putin

Further developing Russia's nuclear capabilities on the land, sea, and air is a major aspect of Moscow's efforts to boost its military might, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday. 

"Taking into account new challenges and, of course, the invaluable experience of conducting a special military operation, we will continue to comprehensively improve the Armed Forces. The most important task here is the development of the nuclear triad," Putin said at a meeting with the graduates of military universities in the capital Moscow.

He said the nuclear triad is "a key guarantee of the country's military security and global stability," adding that about half of the country's Strategic Rocket Forces have been equipped with "modern missile systems."

"Already, about half of the units and formations of the Strategic Rocket Forces are equipped with the latest Yars (missile) complexes, and the troops are being re-equipped with modern missile systems with the Avangard hypersonic warhead," Putin said.

Noting that the first launchers of the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile system would also take up combat duty in the near future, he said arming Russia's nuclear triad made it possible to "effectively and reliably provide strategic deterrence and maintain a global balance of power."

Putin said cutting-edge weaponry, systems, and armored vehicles had greatly helped Russia in its "special military operation" in Ukraine, indicating that their production and improvement will continue.

He also said the aviation and naval arsenals of Russia's "strategic nuclear forces" were being replenished.

"We still have a lot to do to qualitatively increase the potential of all components of the armed forces, and we will implement these plans in full, using our own scientific, technological, production, and personnel base, relying on the growing capabilities of the domestic military-industrial complex and the Russian high-tech business," Putin added.  

Ukraine 'engaged in restoring combat capability'

Putin also talked about the situation on the front line in Ukraine, claiming that Kyiv's armed forces were "engaged in restoring combat capability."

"Today, we see that the offensive potential has not yet been exhausted. There are reserves that the enemy is thinking about where and how to withdraw," Putin said in an interview with Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin, shared by the Kremlin on Telegram.

He further claimed that the Ukrainian army was combining brigades that suffered "serious losses" into new units, adding that Kyiv feared similar losses in the future that could cause a decline in combat capabilities.

Putin also claimed that Russian forces had destroyed a large amount of foreign military equipment during the conflict.

"Of course, there are (German) Leopards (tanks). There are also French wheeled armored vehicles, American armored vehicles. Everything is there," he said.

Ukraine has not yet responded to the claims.