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Russian Military to Receive New ICBM Missile Complexes in 2018, Putin Says

Sergei Kiselyov / Moskva News Agency

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.

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