One symbol of the changes in the Russian armed forces is the abandonment of foot cloths.
Soldiers have wrapped these cloths around their feet for hundreds of years, but now, by order of the Ministry of Defence, they are to be given up in favour of socks.
A Russian soldier demonstrates for Newsnight's Tim Whewell - who wore foot cloths while a student in Russia - how they work.
Bookmark with:
What are these?
E-mail this to a friend