Russia’s Ground Forces and the Navy’s coastal brigades are practically fully equipped with the Ratnik combat gear, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at a meeting of the State Duma (the lower house of parliament) Defense Committee.

 “Almost all Ground Forces units, as well as the Navy’s motorized rifle brigades and marine brigades - 35 units in total - have been provided with the Ratnik-2 modern combat gear,” TASS news agency quoted Shoigu as saying..

 The serial deliveries of the second generation “soldier of the future” Ratnik gear to the Russian Armed Forces began in 2017. It includes modern small arms, efficient protection package, reconnaissance and communication means, and is designed to operate in various weather conditions on a 24-hour basis.

Research is currently underway to create the third generation (Ratnik-3) combat gear, which will include a helmet with an integrated control system, a combat exoskeleton, anti-mine shoes and some other elements.

In another development, the combat units of the new S-400 missile system of the Western Military District’s air defense missile regiment entered combat duty in the Leningrad Region, the Western Military District’s press service told journalists on Tuesday.

“The units of the advanced S-400 missile systems entered combat duty for the air defense of military, administrative and civil facilities,” the report said.

The units reportedly received the new systems from representatives for the manufacturing facility at the Kapustin Yar Range in the Astrakhan Region. After the live firing the units marched more than 2,000 km in the Leningrad Region.

The Western Military District’s missile regiment, which had been previously armed with S-300s, received new S-400 systems for re-armament. The new systems were tested and entered service in the past months, while the crews underwent retraining.