Putin Urges Push on Rocket Engines, Hails Energy Innovations Amid Sanctions

President Vladimir Putin on Friday urged Russia’s aerospace industry to press ahead with the development of booster rocket engines for space launch vehicles, stressing the need to maintain the country’s reputation as a global space leader.

Speaking in Samara after touring the Kuznetsov design bureau aircraft engine plant, Putin said it was vital to modernize production capacity and compete successfully on international markets.

“In conditions of restrictions from sanctions, we succeeded in a short period of time in developing a series of innovative engines for energy,” he said, noting their use in gas transport infrastructure.

He linked the advances to broader economic goals, highlighting the planned Power of Siberia 2 pipeline to China as “extremely important” for Russian gas exports after Europe’s move to cut reliance on Moscow.

Putin also pointed to progress on the PD-26 aircraft engine, which he said would support modernization of military transport aircraft and open prospects for a new generation of wide-bodied civilian planes.