Russian defense ministry boasts about revived military power

MOSCOW – Russia's defense minister says the military has commissioned more than 1,000 new aircraft and thousands of tanks in the past few years.

Sergei Shoigu boasted of the military's achievements during six years on the job, saying Monday in a speech to lawmakers that the armed forces have turned into a mobile force capable of projecting power abroad.

Shoigu noted that the military received more than 1,000 warplanes and combat helicopters and over 3,700 tanks in 2012-2018. He added that the army has formed 10 brigades armed with state-of-the-art Iskander missiles.

Shoigu said that the campaign in Syria that Russia has waged since 2015 showcases its military might and allowed the military to test its new weapons in combat, including shipborne and air-launched long-range cruise missiles.