A new branch of Russian armed forces was announced this week by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.
The new Russian Aerospace Forces brings together the country’s Air Force and Aerospace Defence Forces under unified command.
This ‘merger’ is seen as part of an on-going effort to modernise and overhaul the Russian armed forces.
Shoigu is quoted as saying that the merger is the “optimal option” for streamlining Russia’s air and space defence.
In the wake of the Ukraine crisis, sanctions, and worsening relations in the West, the Russian defence budget has meanwhile been growing.
