Russia, Belarus need urgent improvements to defence capabilities- Shoigu

Russia and Belarus must take urgent joint measures to improve their defence capabilities and troops' combat readiness in the current circumstances, Russian news agencies quoted Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu as saying on Thursday.

"Circumstances dictate the need to take urgent joint measures on strengthening the defence capabilities of the union state, increase the combat readiness of troop groupings and the unified regional air defence system," Interfax quoted Shoigu as telling his Belarusian counterpart in Moscow.