MOSCOW. May 10 (Interfax-AVN) - Spending on the qualitative development of the armed forces must be increased, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his annual address to the Federal Assembly.
"In the coming year, spending on this development must constitute at least half of the whole military budget," Putin said.
Putin also said military arms and hardware procurement and supplies and logistics systems needed to be streamlined.
"The government has until the end of the year to resolve this. This work must be completed, and then an authorized federal civilian agency must be set up," he said.
"I have every expectation that this measure will contribute to suppressing corruption in the military sphere," he said.
Every ruble spent on the armed forces "must be used rationally, for its intended purpose," he said.