The U.S. Senate recognized Russia's ability to build a combat-ready Armed Forces

Despite the sanctions regime, Russia is successfully building a combat-ready Armed Forces and creating new strategic assets. This was reported by the RIA Novosti news agency on January 30, quoting Daniel Driscoll, nominee for U.S. Secretary of the Army, at a Senate hearing.

"Even while constrained by an international sanctions regime since 2014, Russia has successfully built and maintained a combat-ready military, provided new strategic capabilities, and increased production of key platforms and materials," he said.

Driscoll also stated the need to prepare an industrial base for the production of 155-millimeter shells.

He added that the U.S. technological advantage is shrinking and the Army needs to accelerate modernization and better prepare forces for advances in unmanned and autonomous warfare, DefenseScoop wrote.

Earlier, on January 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced plans to open 48 more centers in the field of unmanned aviation. The Russian leader added that it is possible to create more such centers in various regions of Russia, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ryazan, Novgorod, Sakhalin and Tomsk regions, as well as in Perm Krai.