Putin calls Russian arms 'significantly superior' to rivals

Russia is ready to sell advanced weapons to allies globally and cooperate in developing military technology, President Vladimir Putin said, adding its latest arms are far superior to those of rival nations. With the Russian leader's forces beaten back from Ukraine's two biggest cities and making slow headway at a heavy cost in the east, the five-month war in Ukraine has so far not proved to be a convincing showcase for Russia's weapons industry. However, the Kremlin leader, addressing an arms show outside Moscow, insisted Russian armaments were years ahead of the competition. Russia cherishes its strong ties with Latin America, Asia and Africa, "and is ready to offer partners and allies the most modern types of weapons – from small arms to armoured vehicles and artillery, combat aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles", said Putin. "Almost all of them have been used more than once in real combat operations," he added.