New combat vehicle for paratroopers MBD-4M. (Illustration: VNA)

In televised comments, Putin Russia will continue to expand its armed forces, taking into account potential military threats and risks. He added that Russia’s newly tested Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles, each capable of carrying 15 nuclear warheads, would be deployed for duty by the end of the year.

Secretary of Russia’s Security Council Nikolai Patrushev threatened retaliation after Lithuania blocked the transit of sanctioned goods to Russia’s Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad. Speaking at a regional security meeting in Kaliningrad, Patrushev said Russia “will certainly respond to such hostile actions” and appropriate measures will be taken soon.