Russia's 2023 state defense orders to be 1.5 times of this year, says top official

Russia's defense chief announced on Wednesday that the country's state defense orders would increase next year to 1.5 times the 2022 figure.

Speaking at a meeting with military chiefs in Moscow, Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu said this would help ensure at least 99% of state defense orders are fulfilled.

"It is important to maintain the maximum possible volume of production, to organize advanced deliveries to the troops," said Shoygu.

He also suggested that paying attention to the development of the rocket forces and artillery would be beneficial "taking into account the experience of the special military operation" in Ukraine.

"During the special operation, new ways of their (rocket and artillery) combat use are being tested. First of all, this concerns the use of reconnaissance and shock-firing systems, including (with) unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as modern and promising weapons," he said.

Shoygu said over 3,000 military instructors and over 100 training grounds, including in Belarus, were involved in training soldiers recruited under the country's "partial military mobilization" measures.

"Over 300,000 reservists, including volunteers, have been trained in two months," he said.

Shoygu also spoke about major projects in military construction, including some that have already started, such as infrastructure for the deployment of new missile systems.

He said while preparing plans for capital construction for 2023, "special attention" would be paid to the interests of "strategic nuclear forces."