Ahead of Gunsmith Day, in the Kremlin’s St Catherine Hall, Vladimir Putin presented state decorations to Russia’s defence industry workers and congratulated them on their professional holiday.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Friends, good afternoon.
Welcome to the Moscow Kremlin. Today, current workers and veterans of the defence industry have gathered here.
Tomorrow, our country will celebrate Gunsmith Day, so, first of all, let me congratulate all current workers and veterans of the Russian defence industry on their upcoming professional holiday.
The defence industry complex comprises more than 5,000 organisations, ranging from major industrial holdings, small and medium-sized enterprises to design bureaus and innovation centres. They employ more than 3.5 million people, among them scientists, designers, engineers, testing specialists, managers, and highly qualified experts. Through your hard work and talent, you make a tremendous contribution to strengthening the defence capability and security of our Motherland by creating modern and in many ways unique weapons and equipment that are rightfully considered, both at home and abroad, among the most reliable and effective in the world.
Today, defence industry workers and their colleagues in related sectors ensure the uninterrupted supply of the most critical military equipment to troops participating in the special military operation, helping our personnel effectively carry out their combat missions.
I would particularly like to highlight that, since the start of the special military operation, defence industry enterprises have bulked their production volumes. For instance, the output and delivery of munitions and weaponry, including precision-guided missiles and shells, have increased more than 22-fold. Deliveries of radar systems have grown nearly five-fold, while those of armoured vehicles and tanks have increased 2.5 times over. Unmanned aerial vehicles are being supplied to the troops without interruption; depending on the class, their production has increased manifold, with output in some categories rising by dozens of times.
The defence industry is supplying weapons and equipment not only to the front line; it is fully meeting the needs of the Armed Forces and all law-enforcement and security agencies alike.
The export order book is also growing and has now exceeded US$70 billion. This confirms that Russia has strong position among the leaders of the global arms market.
I would like to thank Russian weapons producers for their proactivity and innovations, and for their earnest, intensive and sometimes, without exaggeration, truly heroic efforts. You skilfully and promptly resolve complex and unconventional challenges, actively modernise manufacturing, and work multiple shifts and overtime. You also regularly visit the frontline to study the performance of your products in combat conditions and use this experience to improve their capabilities.
I would like to emphasise that we will continue to do everything necessary to strengthen the scientific and production capabilities of the defence industry and provide state support to ensure the sector’s stable and sustainable operation. Our goal is to manufacture and supply the troops with cutting-edge weapons and equipment, while also producing in-demand civilian and dual-use goods.
Friends,
The people gathered here in the Kremlin today are not merely professionals or masters of their craft. Everyone in this hall has built a career defined by years of dedicated work and outstanding results. The decorations being presented to you today represent state recognition of your contributions and achievements for the benefit of Russia.
Today’s challenges require us to keep moving forward. It is vital to build on the positive trends within the defence industry, ensure its stable operation, lay the groundwork for future progress, and strengthen Russia’s technological and industrial sovereignty.
I am confident that, together, we will accomplish all these tasks.
Once again, congratulations on these high decorations and on your professional holiday. I sincerely wish you good health and continued success, and I send my best regards to your families and friends.
Thank you.
<…>