Putin: Russian military-industrial might makes Ukraine victory 'inevitable'

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with local residents, veterans and representatives of civil society organizations to mark the 80th anniversary of a breakthrough in the siege of Leningrad during World War Two at the State Memorial Museum of the Defence and Siege of Leningrad in Saint Petersburg, Russia, January 18, 2023. Sputnik/Ilya Pitalyov/Pool via REUTERS

MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia's powerful military-industrial complex was ramping up production and was one of the main reasons why Russia would prevail in Ukraine.

Putin, speaking to workers at a factory in St Petersburg that makes air defence systems, said overall military equipment output was rising even as demand for it was growing because of what he calls Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine.