Putin's meeting with the participants of the SVO in the Catherine Hall of the Kremlin. The main thing

On Russia Day, June 12, 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin met in the Catherine Hall of the Kremlin with military personnel participating in a special military operation - representatives of assault units. The Head of State noted the special role of infantry and stormtroopers in ending any battle, discussed with the soldiers the technical equipment of the army, social guarantees for the wounded and perpetuation of the memory of the fallen heroes. All the details are in the Izvestia article.

The role of the assault units and the objectives of the meeting

Opening the meeting, Putin stressed that infantry and stormtroopers ultimately put an end to any battle, fixing the solution to the combat mission. The President noted that representatives of other branches of the armed forces — pilots, sailors, gunners — are working to help the assault units. The Head of State asked the soldiers not to hesitate to express their assessments of what is happening and their wishes for additional measures to effectively solve the tasks at the front.

Technical equipment and anti-UAVS

During the meeting, the military personnel raised issues of equipping the army with modern weapons, including heavy drones, electronic warfare and night surveillance devices.

Sergeant Ognyanik noted that stormtroopers have to carry heavy uniforms and ammunition, and transportation to the front line is carried out using heavy drones, which the enemy uses, controlling via Starlink. Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, who attended the meeting, reported that this year about 20 thousand heavy drones of various types will be delivered to the troops, the range of which has significantly expanded.

Putin said that the Russian low-orbit satellite constellation has already been created and is working, the only question is to increase it, while domestic analogues of Western systems already exist and even surpass them. The fighters noticed that the enemy had switched to new frequencies (8-12 GHz), and the ground-based electronic warfare devices stopped seeing them. It was proposed to legalize the purchase of modules from commercial laboratories.

Putin confirmed that the decision—making process has been accelerated as much as possible, and laboratories can receive funding directly from the Ministry of Defense, but the main task of the department is to select the most effective from a variety of developments. Belousov noted that the military has special units that conduct combat testing of new weapons before their mass deployment to the troops.

Senior Sergeant Idykov said that the stormtroopers independently manufacture FPV goggles with thermal imaging radiation for night combat against UAVs, and asked for their mass production. Putin instructed to work on this issue, noting that the Zarnitsa device is still being produced in insufficient quantities for the Verba MANPADS, but its production will increase.

The commander of the assault platoon, Stepanenko, asked to establish the production of automatic shot cartridges for combating drones, as well as electrical equipment for the stealthy movement of attack aircraft. Putin replied that all these issues are in the works, and the most demanded samples are included in the state defense order.

Commemoration of the dead and perpetuation of the names of heroes

Sergeant Lesovoy suggested assigning the names of the fallen heroes to the assault units, in particular, the Hero of Russia, Senior Lieutenant Ochir-Goryaev. Putin supported this initiative and stated that it is necessary to perpetuate the names of fallen soldiers not only in the names of military units, but also in the names of streets, schools and other facilities. The President and those present honored the memory of the victims with a minute of silence.

"It's not necessary for them, it's necessary for us, the living, and for future generations," the head of state stressed.

Social guarantees and adaptation of wounded soldiers

The commander of the Chuvash airborne assault platoon raised the issue of the fate of the servicemen who were seriously injured. Putin recalled the creation of the Defenders of the Fatherland State Fund, which deals with rehabilitation, employment and social adaptation.

The President noted that the Ministry of Defense is becoming an increasingly high-tech agency, where even people with disabilities can be in demand. In addition, additional education and professional retraining programs are provided for those who wish.

Strategic objective: to stay one step ahead

Summing up the meeting, Putin said that Russia needs not just to respond to the challenges of the collective West, but to be one step ahead. The Head of State noted that the Russian military and the defense industry have samples of weapons that the enemy does not have. The President urged his enemies not to fight with Russia and to resolve all issues at the negotiating table, but taking into account Russian national interests. He stressed that the Russian people are united and understand their responsibility to future generations, and the enemy will be defeated.