The Minister briefed President Medvedev on measures taken by the Defence Ministry to fight forest fires in Central Russia.

Dmitry Medvedev watched the exercises from aboard the nuclear-powered battle cruiser Peter the Great and held a meeting with the heads of the Defence Ministry, General Staff, and the Navy.

Dmitry Medvedev presented decorations to sixteen servicemen in a ceremony on board the cruiser Peter the Great. The servicemen were decorated for their part in an operation to free the Moscow University tanker from pirates.

Dmitry Medvedev congratulated graduates of Russia’s military academies and universities on the successful completion of their studies.

Dmitry Medvedev outlined the main objectives of budget policy.

Financing for long-term strategic programmes in adjustment of money allowances to the military, Interior Ministry reform and housing provision for officers were the subjects of discussion.

Dmitry Medvedev had working meetings with Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, which were attended by newly appointed commander of the Strategic Missile Forces Sergei Karakayev and First Deputy Defence Minister Vladimir Popovkin.

Dmitry Medvedev expressed his confidence that Nadezhda Sinikova will be able to make the Agency more efficient and will create an organisation capable of optimising the supplies of high quality military equipment to meet the needs of the Defence Ministry, police and other law enforcement agencies.

Dmitry Medvedev participated in the launch ceremony of a new generation nuclear submarine. The ceremony took place at the military shipyard of Production Association Northern Machine-Building Enterprise (Sevmash).

Svetlana Medvedeva participated in a meeting of the Public Supervisory Board of the Kronstadt Naval Cathedral.

Dmitry Medvedev held a meeting of the Commission for Military Technology Cooperation with Foreign States.

The President set the goal of bringing the share of modern arms in the Russian armed forces up to at least 30 percent by 2015.

All outdated analogue systems should be replaced with digital systems as part of the programme to establish a common command system for troops and weapons at tactical level by 2012. This applies above all to military units in the North Caucasus Military District, the President said.