Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered on Wednesday (June 11) that the lessons learned from the ongoing war in Ukraine be fully integrated into the country's new long-term armaments program. Stressing the need to adapt to global military trends and strengthen Russia's nuclear and conventional forces, Putin described ground forces in particular as the "dominant force" in modern conflicts and called for their rapid strengthening.
Signals of Change in Russian Military Doctrine
Speaking at a meeting held in Moscow, Putin said that their military strategy would be reshaped, adding: “Our task is to create a new long-term program for all types of systems and weapons, including promising ones, using the experience gained from special military operations, various regional conflicts and global trends in military technologies at the highest level.”
According to statements reported by Russian state media, Putin said that "it is important to develop combat capabilities as quickly as possible" within the scope of modernization. According to Pravda, Putin called for special attention to be paid to the “nuclear triad,” which he described as “a guarantee of Russia’s sovereignty.” Putin noted that modern weapons currently make up 95% of the triad, which is the highest share globally.
Special Emphasis on Land Forces and Strategic Preparations
Putin stressed that the capacity of Russia's ground forces should be increased several-fold in the shortest possible time, and also ordered the preparation of bases and airfields in advance so that new weapons systems are not deployed "in open space." The order demonstrates Russia's intention to strengthen its military infrastructure and become better prepared for future conflicts.
Lessons Learned from the Ukrainian War and the Situation on the Front
Putin's comments come after years of costly wars of attrition in various parts of Ukraine. While Russian troops are trying to maintain pressure despite heavy losses in manpower and equipment, Ukrainian forces continue to target the rear of the front line, supply centers and artillery units with long-range systems provided by the West and domestically produced UAVs.
Russia has launched several new ground offensives this year, particularly in the Kharkiv, Sumy and Donetsk regions. But independent analysts and Western intelligence agencies report that these efforts have yielded limited gains at a high cost. The UK Ministry of Defence said some Russian brigades carrying out the offensive suffered casualties of more than 40% in recent operations. This situation highlights the challenges the Russian army faces in the modern warfare environment and the need to integrate these challenges into new military programs.
