Russia increases defense spending and negotiates with Iran to purchase long-range missiles | EUROtoday

The Russian Ministry of Finance will improve army spending by 67.65% by 2024, which is able to quantity to 111.87 billion {dollars}

• Straight final hour of the conflict in Ukraine

Russia has determined to improve defense spending by two thirds to face the Ukrainian counteroffensive and is already negotiating with Iran for the provision of long-range missiles, profiting from the truth that they are going to quickly lose their validity. the UN decision prohibiting such operations.

The Russian Ministry of Finance reported immediately that it’ll improve army spending by 67.65% by 2024, which is able to quantity to 10.8 trillion rubles. ($111.87 billion).

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian president, Volodmir Zelensky, acquired the secretary basic of NATO in kyiv, Jens Stoltenbergwho highlighted that Ukraine is “gaining ground” and is “closer than ever” to the Atlantic Alliance.

Two thirds extra defense spending

Defense spending in 2024 – final 12 months amounted to 6.5 trillion rubles ($66.73 billion)– will probably be among the many highest within the Russian funds, surpassed solely by these for social coverage, which Finance estimated at 20.7 trillion rubles (214.02 billion {dollars}).

“The structure of the budget shows that the main emphasis is on ensuring our victory” within the conflict in Ukraine, stated Finance Minister Antn Silunov, on the Moscow International Financial Forum.

The minister careworn that “the defense capabilities, the Armed Forces, the combatants: everything you need for the front“Everything vital for victory is within the funds.”

“This locations a substantial burden on the funds, however it’s our absolute precedence“, recalc.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov, He also justified the growing military spending, pointing out that “it’s completely vital, since we proceed in a state of hybrid conflict unleashed towards us, (and) we proceed the particular army operation.”

“And so calls for giant bills“, he said in his daily telephone press conference.

Iranian long-range missiles for Russia

In addition, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported today in its daily analysis that, according to Ukrainian and Israeli intelligence sources, Russia is negotiating with Iran for the supply of long-range missiles, which would serve to counter the arrival of the ATACMS that the president of the United States, Joe Bidenhe promised Zelensky last week.

Russia will be interested in Fateh-110 ballistic missiles and Zolfaghar which have a range of 300 kilometers, but also in anti-missile systems, cruise and anti-tank missiles, in addition to drones, which it has already received since the beginning of the conflict with Ukraine.

The ISW highlights that on October 18 the UN resolution that prevent Tehran from exporting missiles of more than 300 kilometers range or missile technology under the 2015 nuclear agreement.

And remember that the Minister of Defense, Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, He already announced at the beginning of the month that Iran was willing to cooperate strategically and militarily “with all allied and unbiased international locations.”

This matter would have been discussed with the Iranian regime during the visit that the Russian Defense Minister made to Tehran in mid-September, Sergui Shoigwho made a similar trip to North Korea in the summer.

The ATACMS should arrive in Ukraine in the coming weeks, which also have about 300 kilometers of range, although, according to US media, kyiv may receive modified modelswhich has not relieved the Kremlin.

Stoltenberg supports counteroffensive in kyiv

Meanwhile, in a clear endorsement of the counteroffensive before the arrival of bad weather, Stoltenberg assured in kyiv that the Ukrainian forces “are advancing” and that “NATO will probably be with Ukraine for so long as vital.”

“Every meter that Ukrainian forces recuperate is a meter that Russia loses,” Stoltenberg said in a press conference with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, during a surprise visit to Kiev.

For his part, Zelensky insisted on the need to strengthen the Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense to face the imminent Russian attacks on energy infrastructure coinciding with the arrival of harsh winter.