On Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin urged the Russian army to learn from and address the issues it encountered in Ukraine. He also pledged to provide the military with all the resources necessary to continue a war that is approaching the end of its tenth month.

Putin stated that there were no financial restrictions on the amount of hardware and equipment the government would provide in a speech to defense commanders in Moscow.

“We are not constrained by money. The nation and its administration are giving the soldiers all they need, “added said.

Putin acknowledged, not for the first time, that the call-up of 300,000 reservists that he ordered in September had not gone smoothly.

“The partial mobilization that was carried out revealed certain problems, as everyone well knows, which should be promptly addressed,” he said.

The call-up drew strong criticism even from Kremlin allies, as it emerged that military commissariats were enlisting many men who were physically unfit or too old, and new recruits were lacking basic equipment such as sleeping bags and winter clothing.