Some 68% of 1.5-trln-ruble govt defense orders to go on procuring new weapons in 2020 - Shoigu
MOSCOW. Jan 10 (Interfax) - About 68% of 1.5-trillion-ruble government defense orders will be used for procuring new weapons in 2020, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.
"We will continue to raise the combat preparedness of the Armed Forces, in particular, through procuring modern types of weapons. About 1.5 trillion rubles will be assigned for government defense orders this year, and nearly 68% of the funds will be spent on mass procurement of new weapons," Shoigu said at a teleconference on Friday.
He said that 19.4% of public funds will be spent on modernization, repairs, and maintenance of hardware.
"Serviceability levels will be maintained at 95%," Shoigu said.
Another important area is infrastructure, including homes, and improvement of the system of social guarantees for servicemen, he said.
"It is planned to commission 3,200 buildings and structures this year. The provision of servicemen with homes, primarily by means of the funded mortgage system and subsidies, remains one of our priorities," Shoigu said.
Accommodation subsidies will reach 37 billion rubles in 2020, he said.
"We will continue to improve quality and to broaden the range of medical services provided to our troops and civilian personnel. I would like to stress that it is necessary to exercise strict control over the use of public funds in all our projects. Heads of all levels must apply this approach," Shoigu said.