Russia to Upgrade Nukes

Russian President (and Vladimir Putin stand-in) Dmitry Medvedev announced in a televised speech Thursday that his country would develop a new generation of nuclear weapons that would replace the old Cold War-era missiles that stock his arsenal.

Russia depends heavily on nuclear weaponry as a deterrent due to an impoverished army infrastructure.  —JCL

Al Jazeera English:

Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president, has announced that his country is to develop a  new generation of nuclear missiles to ensure its nuclear deterrent remains effective. Medvedev made the announcement on Thursday during an end-of-year interview with three state-controlled television channels in which he also touched upon the country’s economy, prison reform and relations with the United States.

The president said the new missiles would be developed in full accordance with arms agreements made with Washington.

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AP / Ivan Sekretarev

Russians watch President Dmitry Medvedev’s end-of-the-year interview through a window of an electronics store.