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.



Iran Nuclear Program a Threat to Israel and Europe, Says French FM as Araghchi Calls it a 'Right'

 Huge smoke rises up from an oil facility facility after it appeared to have been hit by an Israeli strike Saturday, in southern Tehran, Iran, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP)
Huge smoke rises up from an oil facility facility after it appeared to have been hit by an Israeli strike Saturday, in southern Tehran, Iran, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP)
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Iran Nuclear Program a Threat to Israel and Europe, Says French FM as Araghchi Calls it a 'Right'

 Huge smoke rises up from an oil facility facility after it appeared to have been hit by an Israeli strike Saturday, in southern Tehran, Iran, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP)
Huge smoke rises up from an oil facility facility after it appeared to have been hit by an Israeli strike Saturday, in southern Tehran, Iran, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP)

Tehran's nuclear program is a threat for the security of Israel and of Europe and diplomacy is the only way to avoid an escalation in the conflict between Israel and Iran, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Sunday.

"The Iranian nuclear program is an existential threat for the security of Israel and beyond the security of Europe. We always said the best way to prevent that threat, to contain it, remains diplomacy," Barrot told RTL radio.

Germany, France and Britain are ready to hold immediate talks with Iran over Tehran's nuclear program in an effort to de-escalate the situation in the Middle East, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said earlier.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that Israel's attack on his country this week sought to "derail" nuclear talks with the United States.

"It is entirely clear that the Israeli regime does not want any agreement on the nuclear issue. It does not want negotiations and does not seek diplomacy," Araghchi told foreign diplomats, saying the attack launched on Friday was an "attempt to undermine diplomacy and derail negotiations".

"We are prepared for any agreement aimed at ensuring Iran does not pursue nuclear weapons," he stated, adding that Tehran would not accept any deal that "deprives Iran of its nuclear rights".