Putin pledges hundreds of new military planes for Russia

Russia’s President Vladmir Putin has stated that the country’s military will be boosted with the acquisition of 1,600 new warplanes and helicopters by 2020, as part of efforts to modernize the military.

The announcement that 600 new airplanes and 1,000 helicopters are to be added is part of a reported $720 billion programme to re-equip the military, which remains weakened from the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

Putin, who made the announcement during an air show marking the 100th anniversary of the Russian Air Force, has put particular emphasis on restoring the country’s military since coming into power in 2000.

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