Russia launches €470bn military spending drive

RUSSIA launched a €470 billion rearmament plan yesterday to counter the West’s military dominance by adding eight nuclear submarines and hundreds of warplanes to its creaking armed forces.

Details of the long-flagged Kremlin procurement plan through 2020 see Russia acquiring a total of 20 submarines and more than 600 warplanes in place of a creaking fleet of outdated jets that have been losing international clients.

Deputy Defence Minister Vladimir Popovkin said Russia would build a total of 100 new ships and acquire 1,000 additional helicopters — which would dramatically swell the number of modern and battle-ready craft.