Putin puts forces in the east on alert

Moscow, Sep 11 (IANS/EFE) Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday ordered military forces deployed in the east of the country on alert to test the combat readiness of the troops, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said.

"In accordance with (Putin's) instructions, the troops, as well as forces and military units stationed in its territory, shall be readied operationally," Shoigu was quoted as saying by local news agencies during a conference with the Command of the Armed Forces.

Shoigu stressed the importance of paying special attention to the exercises of long-distance regrouping of troops, describing the task as a "priority".

The defence minister told the armed forces command that Putin also ordered a check of the preparedness of a number of ministries and federal services in the region in order to know the extent of their ability to fulfill wartime tasks.

Putin said in a meeting on the armament programme for the period 2016-2025 that Russia should have "sufficient and appropriate" responses to all the potential threats to its military security.

--IANS/EFE

ab/vt