Article: Putin calls for raising combat capability of Russian military

MARA D. BELLABY, Associated Press Writer
AP Worldstream
02-22-2004
Dateline: MOSCOW
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday called for strengthening the Russian military, but emphasized that Russia had no aggressive aims or imperial ambitions.

"We are strengthening and modernizing the armed forces, including the strategic forces in order to reliably defend the nation," Putin said at a reception Sunday on the eve of Defender of the Fatherland Day.

The Feb. 23 holiday was established in Soviet times to commemorate a 1918 clash with German troops that marked the birth of the Red Army. It is celebrated as a general men's holiday, with particular focus on those serving in the military.

"Security ...

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