Medvedev read Stalin’s telegram at a meeting on the military-industrial complex

Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev at a meeting of the working group of the military-industrial commission demanded increase the production of air defense missiles. At the end of the meeting, he quoted a white-framed telegram from Joseph Stalin during World War II, in which he called the number of aircraft being produced “a mockery of the country, of the Red Army.” Stalin states that the directors of the two factories “failed our country, our Red Army,” threatens punishment and “for the last time” demands to increase the production of Il-2 aircraft.

“You still don’t deign to produce IL-2. The Red Army now needs Il-2 aircraft like air, like bread. <...> If the 18th plant is thinking of cutting itself off from the country by producing one IL-2 per day, then it is cruelly mistaken and will suffer punishment for it. I ask you not to make the government lose patience and demand that more Ilov be released. I’m warning you for the last time. Stalin,” Mr. Medvedev read out the words of Joseph Stalin. According to the deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, he turned to the telegram of the head of the USSR government to show how victory was achieved then.

A year ago, Dmitry Medvedev also read out a telegram from Joseph Stalin with similar content to the heads of enterprises of the military-industrial complex in order to “cheer them up.” “They [телеграммы] “worthy of being talked about,” he added.