RUSSIA, January 18 - Mikhail Mishustin’s opening remarks:

Good afternoon, colleagues.

The President pointed out again during a recent meeting with the Government that we would continue to build up the country’s defence capabilities and promptly deal with issues related to supporting the Armed Forces and units that are taking part in the special military operation.

First of all, we must organise the daily replenishment of weapons, military and special equipment, as well as other resources, so that our defenders have the right amount of everything they need to fulfil the tasks they have been set.

To do this, we must maintain the sustainable growth of the industrial and technological capabilities of our defence industry, steadily supply the entire range of products and improve their characteristics, as the President has also pointed out.

The targets were set at the start of the Coordination Council’s operation, and they must be strictly complied with.

According to preliminary results, the manufacturing plans for the supply of combat aircraft and vehicles, missile and artillery munitions, armoured combat vehicles, body protectors and all-weather field uniforms have been implemented almost in full.

It is essential to continue working without interruption to increase the capacities of our defence enterprises and to purchase the necessary equipment.

Colleagues, the material and technical supplies we failed to provide under last year’s plans must be delivered to the armed forces in full by February.

The managerial decisions necessary for this must be taken without delay. You must personally monitor performance discipline at all levels of industrial cooperation. Everyone involved must do their jobs with precision. It is extremely important to carefully analyse and process information from the field and to take it into account in adopting appropriate and balanced measures.

Russia continues to build fortifications on its defensive lines and instal utility equipment. Work is ongoing around the clock and at a high pace.

The situation in which builders have to operate is certainly complicated due to a number of serious reasons including unfavourable weather, the enemy’s artillery attacks on the construction sites, and the need for regular mine-clearing efforts. Nevertheless, it is a priority to complete the building of these fortifications so that military units can be deployed there in the near future.

The Coordination Council remains primarily focused on social protection for servicemen and their families, and Russians who are in the special military operation zone and the border areas. I would like to point out that every social benefit must be paid on time and in full.

Another important matter is medical and sanitary care for our soldiers, including medical rehabilitation. It is necessary to monitor the state of their health, both in action and in everyday life, to expand the possibilities of medical and medical-psychological assistance, as well as comprehensive rehabilitation of servicemen who have health impairments.

It goes without saying that it is necessary to ensure a continuous supply of all the necessary medicines, medical and non-medical products, first-aid kits, and ambulances to the Armed Forces.

Ms Golikova (addressing Tatyana Golikova), I would like to ask you to personally review the progress on these two issues.

I would like to remind you that efficiency in the use of financial resources is under close scrutiny. To keep track of the cost of goods and services purchased for the Armed Forces, the Government decided not to extend restrictions on the monitoring and oversight in the financial and budgetary sphere to the Federal Treasury’s activity this year.

The Treasury and the Ministry of Finance are already analysing the financial and economic justifications for state contracts. We will receive the first results of such audits in the coming weeks – before the end of January. We will discuss them in detail at the council meeting.

I ask the heads of the working groups – Marat Khusnullin and Tatyana Golikova – to report on the achievement of the targets and the results of previously adopted decisions.

I would like to ask Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, the heads of the Interior Ministry and the Federal Security Service, and the Deputy Head of the National Guard to report on reaching the targets concerning the provision of supplies to the services that report to you.