President Vladimir Putin has called for reinforcing the country's military nuclear potential, with an emphasis on missiles.

He said, "We need to strengthen the military potential of strategic nuclear forces, especially with missile complexes that can reliably penetrate any existing and prospective missile defense systems."

Putin made the comments in a speech on Thursday that recapped military activities in 2016.  He said the army's preparedness has considerably increased and he calle on the army to keep alert and step up development in the rapidly changing world situation. Putin also praised the army's performance in its Syria campaign. He said it showcased Russian technology to potential arms buyers and helped the Syrian army make considerable advances.