Russia will continue to build up its own defense capabilities according to foreseeable threats stated President Vladimir Putin at a meeting at the Defense Ministry, reports the Voice of Russia's correspondent from the session.

There are multiplying and expanding zones of instability on the planet: with non-stop armed conflicts in the Middle East, Central Asia, and the danger of radicalism and chaos being exported to Russia from neighboring regions.

"At the same time there are methodical attempts being carried out to undermine the strategic balance," President Putin said.

The President added: "In fact the second phase of the U.S. global missile defense system has begun and there is continued probing into the possibility for further expansion of NATO to the East."

Russia's Armed Forces should enter new level of capabilities in next 3-5 years - Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia's Armed Forces should enter a new level of capabilities in the next 3-5 years.

"The changes in the geopolitical situation require us to take well-thought out and fast action. Russia's Armed Forces should enter a totally new level of capabilities in the next 3-5 years," Putin told the Russian Defense Ministry collegium.

Speaking at a defense ministry meeting, Russia's President Vladimir Putin ordered to bring order to military cities, which were left without heating in winter, the Voice of Russia's Polina Chernitsa says.

He also demanded full elimination of waiting lists for housing for military officers and said that Russia's armed forces should enter new level of capabilities in the next 3 to 5 years.

The Russian president also unveiled some of reforms that are to be introduced in the Army in the near future. For instance, he said military service by conscription will last for twelve months.

Orders for foreign arms stand - Russian Defence Ministry
Russia will honour its obligations under its contracts to procure two Mistral-class assault ships from France and 358 Iveco armoured fighting vehicles from Italy.

Announcing this in Moscow Wednesday, Deputy Russian Defence Minister Yuri Borisov also said that Russia can now produce arms of these types itself. Russia to buy no more foreign drones

Russia will buy no more foreign-made drones. According to the Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technological Cooperation, Alexander Fomin, Russia has launched the production of its own drones.

Earlier, Russia bought drones in Israel to the tune of some 400 million dollars.

When commenting on the borrowing of foreign technologies, the official pointed out that the USSR was the first to invent a drone, based on the Tu-154 airliner, back in the 1960s.

News space missile complex will be created
There are plans to create a new space missile complex for the launches of the heavy Amur missile carrier on the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Russian Far East, the Roscosmos Head Vladimir Popovkin said at a session of the Roscosmos.

According to plan, the first launching from the Vostochny Cosmodrome will be carried out at the end of 2015, and the first launching of a piloted ship is set for 2018.

Source: Voice of Russia