"Everything for Victory!" Plenary Session

During Putin’s visit to Tula, he spoke at the Forum’s Plenary Session and presented the Order "For Valiant Labor" to the staff of the All-Out Research and Production Association, SPLAV, named after A. N. Ganichev. It can’t be read in the above photo, but the lectern Putin speaks from is labeled народный фронт: People’s Front.

Tula Kremlin where event took place.

Vladimir Putin: Dear friends,

I am glad to welcome the participants and guests of the forum " Everything for victory!".

Here, in Tula, one of the historical capitals of Russian gunsmiths, gathered representatives of our defense factories, public organizations, entrepreneurs, doctors, war correspondents, volunteers-people who solve today the most complex, non-standard tasks, often involving a threat to life and health. They work hard to deliver modern and effective weapons and equipment to the front, build lines of fortifications, and provide soldiers with protective equipment. They invent new means of electronic warfare and, in general, supply our soldiers with everything necessary for life in combat conditions.

They wholeheartedly help our children who are waging a sacred, just battle against the new edition of neo-Nazism, fighting for Russia, for truth, for freedom, and for the future of our country.

Just now, at a meeting with the forum's activists, we talked about the huge role played by a strong home front, the stable operation of defense industry enterprises and the entire economy, and the consolidation of society in strengthening the country's defense and sovereignty.

I want to thank once again the Tula gunsmiths, all those who create a powerful and reliable "shield of the Motherland", for their hard, without exaggeration, heroic work and for decent results.

I have already mentioned and I want to repeat: during the special military operation, the teams of our defense enterprises, research institutes, and design bureaus have made a real breakthrough, and I would say, without any exaggeration, a labor feat.

I now appeal to all employees of the Russian defense enterprises of the country-you have proved that you are worthy of our great ancestors: the workers of Kuzbass, Magnitogorsk, Moscow, Tula, the Urals, Kazan, and besieged Leningrad, who during the Great Patriotic War in the most difficult conditions won the industrial battle against Hitler's Germany, and in fact against the industry of Europe, which was working then to Nazi Germany. The whole country, all our united people, from young to old, became the creators of the Victory of 1945.

Today is the Day of Military Glory of Russia. We are celebrating the 81st anniversary of the defeat of the Nazis at Stalingrad. Among the heroes of the battle on the Volga are engineers and workers of the Stalingrad Tractor Plant, the Krasny Oktyabr and Barricade factories, and other enterprises. Under heavy fire and bombardment, they repaired tanks and armored vehicles. Until the last opportunity, when the battles were already going on for the buildings and workshops of factories, ammunition was released.

You know, I also recall information that is close to me as a Leningrader, as a person born in the city on the Neva. After all, at some enterprises in our country, at the Putilov factory, when the enemy approached directly to the factory shops, the workers took a rifle, a submachine gun, went to defend their enterprise, and then, when the enemy was repulsed, returned back to the machine. And that's how they worked. Is it possible to defeat such people? Never!

Work at the Russian defense industry enterprises is now colossal, as they say, in three shifts, continuously. The production of fundamentally new equipment is being mastered. At the same time, production volumes are constantly growing: day to day, week to week, month to month. Over the year, a number of indicators increase not by percentages, but by several times.

We have just spoken with your colleagues, who are in the front row here. I see that I have already mentioned these figures, and I will repeat them now. But first of all, I want to say to the employees of the defense industry enterprises once again: you have fulfilled the order of the Motherland. Thank you for that. You did not let down your comrades-in-arms, those who are now fighting on the front line, guarding the borders and skies of Russia, keeping watch in the world's oceans, and ensuring the inviolability of the strategic nuclear missile potential.

I would like to note that since the beginning of the special operation, deliveries of various types of drones and artillery ammunition to the troops have significantly increased. In terms of personal protective equipment, as I just mentioned, the increase was tenfold. For motor vehicles - at seven. And for tanks-five times, this is a decent indicator. For IFVs and armored personnel carriers – more than 3.5 times. All at times.

The implementation of the state defense order is now almost at the level of 100 percent. I am confident that we will continue to maintain this level reliably, especially since the state defense order for 2024 has been significantly increased again and, I want to emphasize this, is fully funded. I have no doubt that it will be completed.

What I would like to emphasize separately is that today we have almost completely upgraded our strategic nuclear forces – by 95 percent-and their naval component-by almost 100 percent. This is a good and reliable rear area for our strategic security. Rear both literally and figuratively. We will achieve the same results in equipping the army and navy with the entire line of conventional weapons, including promising new-generation models. And we will definitely implement these plans together with you.

This means that our enterprises and design bureaus will be guaranteed to be provided with orders for years to come, that production facilities and assembly lines will be loaded, updated, expanded, and modernized. Qualified personnel and young talented specialists will be in demand.

And of course, the contribution of the defense industry to the development of the country as a whole, to the development of our cities and regions, to the implementation of strategic tasks related to the renewal of the economy, transport, industry, fuel and energy complex, social sphere, healthcare, and to increasing high-tech exports will grow.

At the end of 2023, under the conditions of a special military operation, when the production of military equipment is given absolute priority – I want to return once again to our meeting with colleagues who are sitting in the first row – the production of civil equipment at the defense industry enterprises increased by almost 30 percent, by 27 percent. The many-fold increased potential of our enterprises allows us to successfully solve this problem.

And it is also important, if not the most important. The branches of our economy now need new domestic machines, instruments, equipment, and advanced materials, and the defense industry is able to provide all this on a mass scale.

In this regard, I would like to emphasize that in these two difficult years, one and a half, not only our military-industrial complex has survived and performed well. The entire economy has shown resilience, withstood unprecedented external pressure, and continues to grow steadily. We were predicted, as you know, recession, failure, collapse, that under the pressure of sanctions we will retreat, give up, fall apart. I want to show a well-known gesture, but I won't do it, there are a lot of girls here. They won't succeed. And our economy is growing, unlike their economies, and today it has become the largest in Europe, the number one in Europe. In terms of purchasing power parity, the economy became the first in Europe and the fifth in the world. And this process will continue to grow.

All our industrial enterprises, manufacturing industries, and the construction sector contributed to this result. Our engineers and scientists who have offered original technological solutions in a short time. Agricultural workers from year to year achieve record harvests. We have fully provided ourselves with all the necessary basic food items. Social workers make a huge contribution to this work. School teachers, university teachers. I have already mentioned and recalled those who treated us differently, but still: battles are won not even on the battlefields, but by schoolteachers and priests. This is education. Our teachers, school teachers, university teachers make a huge contribution to this, to the common cause for victory.

And of course, doctors and nurses who work in all regions of our large country. Right now, only a medical worker from Donetsk told us how they work there, in what conditions. What can I say? I would like to say at this narrow meeting and now, in front of a wider audience, that we can only bow low to these people who perform their duty so courageously, so conscientiously, and under the most difficult conditions. And there's nothing to add. (Applause.) They nurse the sick, help our wounded soldiers and officers.

Today, the volunteer movement plays a huge role in the unity and consolidation of our society. I would like to sincerely thank all the citizens of our country, volunteer associations that support the front and help our fighters, including through the People's Front Foundation. Everything for victory!" Thank you very much.

It was also just said that the whole country, ordinary people, send a thousand rubles each. 11 billion rubles were collected for the needs of the army and the needs of the front. (Referring to E. Zubun, participant meeting with the forum's assets) 11 billion, yes? You said. People bring a thousand each. The whole country is involved.

This made it possible to purchase and additionally deliver thousands of drones and radio stations, bulletproof vests, first-aid kits, and other things that are so necessary for fighters on the front line. But that's not even the point. Businesses are being developed, as we know, and they are working. The point is in this fact of unity and the desire to do everything to win, everything for our guys who risk their lives on the front line. This is the main thing. This is what will ensure our success. There is no doubt about it.

Such sincere support of people from different regions of our multinational country is truly priceless. It strengthens the morale of our guys. They know that they believe in them and expect them to win.

Dear friends!

The defeat of Nazism, the Great Victory for all time gave us an example of unshakable unity of the front and rear. Leading enterprises and entire cities were awarded state awards for their feat during the Great Patriotic War.

We will certainly cherish these traditions, our memory and pride. And it is symbolic that next to the hero cities in the same row are the cities of military glory and labor valor.

Today I would like to inform you that a new state award has been established in Russia – the Order "For Valiant Labor". It will be awarded to employees and entire teams of enterprises for long-term significant achievements.

And the first such order will be awarded today here, at our forum, to the Tula research and production association "SPLAV". This is the leading Russian enterprise in the development and production of multiple launch rocket systems-the heirs of the legendary Katyusha. Today, these systems are one of the main shock weapons of our units participating in a special military operation. These are the famous "Grads", "Hurricanes", "Tornadoes", remote mining systems and heavy flamethrower systems-which show themselves to be oh so effective – as well as dozens of types of rockets.

SPLAV operates at full capacity and has already increased its output many times over. I would like to congratulate the company's staff on the well-deserved award.

In addition, I signed another Decree, according to which changes are made to the statutes of the five orders. Now such awards as the Order of Alexander Nevsky, "For Naval Merit", Honor, Pirogov, "For Services to Culture and Art" will be awarded to both citizens and labor collectives. These awards will be awarded to cultural and healthcare institutions, defense enterprises, and research centers for outstanding achievements and high performance.

I wish all forum participants success. I would like to thank all our like-minded people, hard workers, and volunteers for their support.

We are a united, united people. I've talked about it many times. We believe in ourselves, we believe in our own strength. And this is the key to our success and our victory. [My Emphasis]

Currently within the Outlaw US Empire and its NATO vassals, the closing paragraph cannot be said truthfully and that carries a great deal of weight when making geopolitical assessments. Since 2014, Putin, his team and a host of Russians have worked very hard to steel Russia not just to survive what it faces today but to triumph over all the adversities placed in its path. And judging from the reactions of visitors to Russia, Russians generally don’t hold individuals responsible for the work of their misleaders—Russians are mostly able to separate the corrupt elites from the ordinary people.

Now it’s time for THE INTERVIEW.

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