Around the World: Russia

Navy expansion planned

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev promised yesterday to increase naval spending and widen his country's presence in the world's oceans although the global financial crisis is biting into the budget.

The naval spending rise is part of a planned "fundamental refit" of the armed forces between 2011 and 2020 that will replace up to 90 percent of the equipment in some parts of the armed forces, Medvedev said.