Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia's weapons need to be modernized.
"The same applies to weapons, which need constant and uninterrupted upgrades and improvements to remain effective," Putin added.
Putin's admission is a remarkable reversal from his comments in August, when he bragged to foreign allies at a military forum that Russia's weapons are "cutting edge" and "decades ahead" of their foreign counterparts.
In September, Putin also urged Russian defense companies to modernize and increase their production capacities, advising them to study how their equipment fares against Western weapons, per state-affiliated TV channel NTV.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine, now approaching its ninth month, has revealed systemic flaws in its army's logistics, war doctrine, and military technology.