Shoigu outlines Russia's military priorities for 2022

The Russian Ministry of Defence leadership met in Moscow on 21 December with the participation of President Vladimir Putin.

Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu reported that the Russian armed forces received more than 5,000 weapons in 2021, with deliveries and overhauls of equipment for the army and navy allowing serviceability to be maintained at 95%.

Russian Ground Forces received more than 2,400 new and upgraded pieces of equipment in 2021. Several new military units were created, including two new divisions (motorised rifle and tank), as well as a missile and an anti-aircraft brigade.

“The navy received three modern submarines, four warships, 10 combat boats, 17 supply vessels and boats, and three coastal missile complexes. This year the navy formed four new military units, including an artillery and an engineering regiment,” Shoigu said, adding that coastal infrastructure was commissioned in Baltiysk and Novorossiysk.

Acceptance trials of the Tsirkon seaborne hypersonic missile are nearing completion and batch deliveries will begin in 2022, according to Shoigu.

Thirty-four warships and submarines, including 20 blue-water ships, will be built for the navy by 2030.

New military bases have been created in the Arctic and five regional airfields are being rebuilt. “The construction of two military bases has been completed in Arctic islands, archipelagos, and remote coastal areas. Air-defence and coastal missile systems became operational,” Shoigu said, adding that these steps would help defend Russian Arctic boundaries.