Russian military spending falls, could affect operations - think-tank

FILE PHOTO: Russian S-400 missile air defence systems drive during the military parade to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the battle of Stalingrad in World War Two, in the city of Volgograd, Russia, February 2, 2018. REUTERS/Tatyana Maleyeva/File Photo

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Russian military spending fell by a fifth last year, its first decline in nearly two decades, with tighter purse-strings likely to affect Moscow's military activity ahead, a report by defence think-tank SIPRI showed on Wednesday.

Russia has flexed its military muscles during the last few years with its 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea and deep involvement in the Syrian conflict serving as examples of its more belligerent stance.