NIZHNY TAGIL, Sverdlovsk region. Feb 15 (Interfax) - The Russian defense industry must meet all current needs and replenish the strategic reserves, President Vladimir Putin said.
While speaking to employees of the Uralvagonzavod plant in Nizhny Tagil on Thursday, Putin outlined the defense industry's objectives for the upcoming five to ten years, saying that the defense industry "needs to meet current demands and restore all strategic reserves."
"Therefore, there's more than enough work for the defense industry as such," he said.
"All defense industry enterprises will definitely be provided with orders," Putin said.
"However, we're talking not only about military equipment," he said.
Civilian goods currently account on average for 20% of items manufactured by Russian defense industry facilities, he said.
"The share of these civilian items will grow in the structure of output. What's important is that, as concerns the defense industry, these are not some primitive goods, like spoons, forks, or plates. This is also high-tech equipment," Putin said.
"There will also be a lot of work and a lot of interesting orders in this civilian segment," he said.