MOSCOW: Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Friday called for more Su-34 fighter jets to be produced, as Moscow pursues its offensive in Ukraine.

The Kremlin has announced a massive spending hike to accomodate its military needs in Ukraine as its large-scale offensive approaches its second year.

“These planes are real workhorses. They can make four to five flights a day,” Shoigu said during a visit to an aeronautical manufacturing base in Novosibirsk in Siberia.

“That’s why we need to step up, accelerate” their manufacture, Shoigu said.

He said the defence ministry has “tasked the factory’s management with accelerating production and repair work” of Su-34s because the weapon is “in demand.”

Russian defence minister inspects combat zone in Ukraine: army

The comments came during a visit by Shoigu to the Novosibirsk aviation plant, some 3,000 kilometres (1,864 miles) east of Mosocw.

The Kremlin – hit by a unprecedented Western sanctions regime – has, however, pivoted to a wartime economy.

It has increased defence spending by 68 percent for 2024, totalling around six percent of GDP – more than spending allocated for social policy.