Putin says Russian army making gains on all Ukraine fronts daily

“Not only according to the results of last year … but starting from this year, our troops in all directions are constantly improving their position every day,” the president said at a meeting with commanders of military districts on Wednesday.

All tasks assigned by the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff are completed, Putin added.

The president also thanked former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu for his work on building new armed forces.

The more effective the work at the front line is, the greater the chances of resolving the situation in Ukraine peacefully are, Putin continued.

“When we tried to peacefully resolve this conflict [in Ukraine], unfortunately nothing worked out … The more effectively you work on the line of contact, the more chances we have to resolve this issue peacefully.”

Putin introduced new Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov to the commanders of military districts of the country.

“Andrei Belousov has been appointed the new Minister of Defense,” Putin noted.

Belousov understands how to integrate the military economy into the general economy of the country, this is extremely important, Putin explained.

“This is due, to the fact that spending on the military is growing.”

The president also announced russia’s total defense and security spending will amount to about 8.7% of the GDP in 2024.

“In 2024, this year, our total defense and security spending will amount to about 8.7%, maybe a little more.”

Increased defense and security spending gives an impetus to the development of industries in the country, the president said.

“When increasing spending on defense and security, we proceed from the fact that all social obligations must be fulfilled to the citizens. Our national development goals must be achieved and must be achieved in all areas, including social development,” Putin continued, adding it is necessary to meet the needs of the Russian armed forces during the special military operation.

“We, all together, need to ensure the needs of the Russian armed forces to work effectively in the combat zone as part of the special military operation,” Putin said, adding that it is necessary to avoid distortions in economy and industry.

The president also said that the military needs to have more effective and accurate arms as it lowers casualties, which is a key issue for Russia.

“Without any exaggeration, we should be ready that these enterprises [defense industry], … should take additional steps in this direction at any moment, they should be ready to make even greater transition to the production of civilian products [as part of the diversification,” Putin added.