Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for a significant increase in the pace of arms production, over two years into the war against Ukraine. “We must double and triple our efforts in this direction,” he said on Wednesday at a meeting with representatives of the defence industry. Only by introducing state-of-the-art weapons systems as quickly as possible could Russia succeed in staying one step ahead of Ukraine in the war, he said. He also justified the appointment of Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov as the new defence minister, saying there was a need for innovation and efficient m…