Shoigu: Russia boosts its nuclear triad

The upgrade of operational long-range aircraft and the manufacture of new combat planes have considerably boosted the air component of Russia’s nuclear triad, Russian Defense Minister Army General Sergei Shoigu said.

"This year, the Tupolev Aircraft Company carried out a considerable amount of work for the 1st and 2nd stage upgrade of Tu-95MS aircraft with the replacement of outdated radio-technical and navigational equipment," the defense minister said.

According to him, this work has provided "the planned number of combat-fit strategic bombers" in the fleet of long-range aviation.

"Today we can say with confidence that the upgrade of the existing fleet of long-range aviation and the creation of new aircraft have considerably boosted the air component of the nuclear triad," TASS cited Shoigu as saying.