MOSCOW. Nov 16 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian servicemen are back in demand, President Vladimir Putin said at a Thursday meeting of armed forces commanders.
"The period of 'patching up' and bare survival is over in the Army and the Navy. The Army and the Navy are regaining their might and steadiness. It is most important that people in uniform regain the awareness of their state significance and necessity," he said.
The armed forces have entered a vital phase of technical modernization, Putin said. "We spent 50% more funds on armaments this year than a year ago," he said.
Progress has been achieved in the development of a unified system of military logistics, Putin said. "This system will ensure the wise spending of funds assigned for modernization," he said.
Almost 5 trillion rubles ($187.56 billion) will be allocated before 2015 under the new armament program, Putin said. "About 80% of these funds will be spent on modernization and purchases of modern armaments and military hardware," he said.
The formation of Regional Command East, which is almost complete, is a major step towards the development of regional forces in strategic areas, Putin said.