France, April 9 -- "The persistent Russian threat to our continent, with an open war [...] remains my primary concern in terms of military preparedness," Fabien Mandon, the army's chief of staff, told a parliamentary defence committee on Thursday.

He said Russia had 1.3 million soldiers in 2025 and could reach 1.9 million by 2030.

Mandon also said the number of Russian heavy tanks could rise from 4,000 in 2025 to 7,000 by 2030, while the navy would keep between 230 and 240 combat ships.

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His comments came after the government presented its update to the Military Programming Law at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

The plan includes an extra €36 billio...