MOSCOW. Feb 27 (Interfax) - A surface-to-air missile brigade and several other combat structures will be formed in the Eastern Military District before the end of this year, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has said.
"The main efforts of the Eastern Military District are focused on the fulfilment of 56 organizational measures," Shoigu said at a Russian Defense Ministry board meeting on Wednesday.
The most important of these are the formation of a mixed aviation division's command and a surface-to-air missile brigade, he said. "The effectiveness of air defense systems on the Amur-Sakhalin track will increase by 15%," Shoigu said.
There are also plans to form an engineer general service regiment and a battalion of Bastion coastal missile systems, Shoigu said.
"The district's troops will have 26 battalion tactical groups by the end of this year. A total of 1,744 weapons and pieces of military and special equipment will be provided to the district troops under the state armaments program for re-equipment of 139 military units," Shoigu said.
Modern weapons now account for 51% of the weapons in the Eastern Military District, Shoigu said.