While Western weapons are not beyond reproach, Russian military equipment is proving effective on the Ukrainian front, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Monday at the opening of the international Army-2023 forum.
Although widely publicized in the media, Western military equipment has proved far from blameless in Ukraine, Shoigu said.
Alongside the event in the Moscow region, an exhibition of weapons seized from the enemy is being held.
"Under real [combat] conditions, our weapons show their reliability and effectiveness. [...] You can see for yourself [the imperfection of Western equipment] at the exhibition of equipment seized on the battlefield," which is organized as part of the forum.
Russian companies and design studios will be presenting their own creations, as well as those made for state orders, announced the minister at the opening of the forum.
'Best response to sanction enthusiasts'
According to Shoigu, "the best response to sanctions enthusiasts and destructive forces" is the presence of numerous foreign delegations. Indeed, according to President Vladimir Putin, 80+ foreign organizations are presenting their equipment at the 2023 edition of the Army Forum, compared with 32 last year.
From modern defense production to cutting-edge solutions in artificial intelligence, electronic technologies and drones, everything is presented at this event, said Shoigu.