President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia addressed top military brass in Moscow on Tuesday. Ivan Sekretarev/Agence France-Presse--Getty ImagesFrom New York Times:
MOSCOW — President Dmitri A. Medvedev said on Tuesday that Russia would begin a “large-scale rearming” in 2011 in response to what he described as threats to the country’s security.
In a speech before generals in Moscow, Mr. Medvedev cited encroachment by NATO as a primary reason for bolstering the armed and nuclear forces.
Mr. Medvedev did not offer specifics on how much the budget would grow for the military, whose capabilities deteriorated significantly after the fall of Soviet Union.
Russia has increased military spending sharply in recent years, but with the financial crisis and the drop in the price of oil, the country’s finances are under pressure, suggesting that it would be hard to lift these expenditures further.
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More News On Russia's Military Announcement
Hawkish Medvedev orders major rearmament for Russian military -- Times Online
Russian president orders military rearmament -- Telegraph
Russia announces major arms buildup -- CNN
Russia announces new arms race -- Guardian
Russia Announces Large-Scale Military Rearmament -- Voice Of America
Russia to rearm military as NATO expands: Medvedev -- Reuters
Medvedev orders large-scale Russian rearmament -- AFP
Russia to begin large-scale rearmament of Armed Forces in 2011 -- RIA Novosti
Russia's militarization may be just sabre-rattling: Expert -- Canada.com
My Comment: Even with this "massive increase" in spending, the Russian Military is still a fraction of what it once was. . Considering the threats at its borders, I am surprise that it has taken this long for the Russian political class and the Russian arm forces to "shape up".