Russia Rearms

RUSSIA’S defence minister, Serge Ivanov, yesterday reaffirmed his nation’s readiness to strike terrorists outside its borders after the government allocated £3.5 billion in funding to buy new weapons next year.

The overall 2005 military budget, which includes new weapons purchases, rose by 27.6 per cent from last year and remained, at £9.9 billion, the biggest item in Russia’s budget for next year.

If it's terrorists they're worried about, then it's interesting what the budget is specific on:

Speaking to reporters after the cabinet session, Mr Ivanov said the armed forces would get seven intercontinental ballistic missiles, nine military satellites and five booster rockets.

None of this makes sense if the terrorists are freelancers. But maybe they're not...