Russia Plans ‘Major Changes’ in Armed Forces from 2023 to 2026

File photo of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu
File photo of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu
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Russia Plans ‘Major Changes’ in Armed Forces from 2023 to 2026

File photo of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu
File photo of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu

Russia said on Tuesday that it would make "major changes" to its armed forces from 2023 to 2026, promising to shake up its military structure after months of setbacks on the battlefield in Ukraine.

In addition to administrative reforms, the Defense Ministry said it would strengthen the combat capabilities of its naval, aerospace and strategic missile forces.

"Only by strengthening the key structural components of the Armed Forces is it possible to guarantee the military security of the state and protect new entities and critical facilities of the Russian Federation," Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the changes had been made necessary by the "proxy war" being conducted in Ukraine by the West, which has been sending increasingly heavy weaponry to Ukraine to help it resist Russian forces.

The defense ministry, which has faced sharp domestic criticism for the ineffectiveness of its drive to take control of large tracts of Ukraine, vowed in December to boost its military personnel to 1.5 million.

It has made numerous changes to its leadership in the 11 months of what it terms a "special military operation", in which its forces initially seized large areas of southern and eastern Ukraine but have since suffered a series of painful defeats and retreats.

Last week, Shoigu appointed Army General Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the military general staff, to take charge of the Ukraine campaign.

The Defense Ministry said on Friday that it had taken control of Soledar - a small, salt-mining town in Ukraine's Donetsk region that had for weeks been the focus of a Russian assault.



Two Dead in Severe Storm in France

This photograph shows a lightning bolt falling near Sacre Coeur Basilica in Montmartre during a thunderstorm, in Paris on June 25, 2025. (Photo by Olivier MORIN / AFP)
This photograph shows a lightning bolt falling near Sacre Coeur Basilica in Montmartre during a thunderstorm, in Paris on June 25, 2025. (Photo by Olivier MORIN / AFP)
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Two Dead in Severe Storm in France

This photograph shows a lightning bolt falling near Sacre Coeur Basilica in Montmartre during a thunderstorm, in Paris on June 25, 2025. (Photo by Olivier MORIN / AFP)
This photograph shows a lightning bolt falling near Sacre Coeur Basilica in Montmartre during a thunderstorm, in Paris on June 25, 2025. (Photo by Olivier MORIN / AFP)

Two people, including a child, died in a violent storm that lashed France overnight, emergency services said Thursday.

In southern France, a falling tree killed a 12-year-old boy, while a man on a quad bike died after crashing into another that had been brought down by the storm.

The violent downpour late Wednesday injured 17 others, one seriously, France's emergency services said.

In the capital, the sky turned an eerie yellow hue as lightning flashed above the Sacre-Coeur cathedral and fierce winds sent Parisians rushing for cover, AFP reported.

And rain leaked through the roof of the lower house of parliament, forcing lawmakers to suspend talks on conflict in the Middle East.

"It's raining in the chamber... I repeat: it's raining in the chamber," wrote MP Maud Petit on her X account.

The storms followed a sweltering heatwave with temperatures passing 35 degrees Celsius (95 F). It brought gusts of wind exceeding 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) that damaged property.

Nearly 100,000 homes were still without electricity on Thursday, mainly in central France, emergency services said.

"Trees blocking roads, damage to infrastructure and homes, flooding, and power outages have been reported," it reported.

More extreme heat is expected over the weekend and into early next week.