Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that 14 missile regiments would receive the new Yars intercontinental missile complexes to replace their old Topol complexes this year as part of a build-up of the state's armed forces.
Putin, whose relations with the West have deteriorated, said previously he does not want an arms race while warning potential enemies that his country has developed a new generation of invincible weapons to protect itself.
At a meeting with defence ministry officials in the Black Sea city of Sochi on Tuesday, Putin added that the national defence industry would also receive modernized missile-carrying bombers in 2018.
"In the course of the year, the air part of a nuclear triad will receive modernized missile-carrying bombers TU-95MS and TU-160 armed with modern cruise long-range missiles Kh-101 and Kh-102," he said.
He also told officials that the defence sector should finish the development and prepare for manufacturing the S-500 surface-to-air anti-ballistic missile system capable of intercepting targets at the highest altitudes including near space.
