Russia is planning to colonise the Moon and explore its natural resources as part of Putin’s latest plans to become a world superpower in space.
The Luna-25 – formerly known as Luna-Glob – an automated probe will be sent to explore the Moon’s South Pole.
The Luna-25 will land in the Boguslavsky crater in the south pole and begin drilling.
After more than 40 years since Russia’s last lunar mission into space, Moscow is investing £30million into building a new spaceship.
The spacecraft will be gathering and transmitting information from the landing station.
No astronauts, however, will be accompanying the probe into space.
Instead, there will be an automated space station directing the spacecraft.
A ‘cyber astronaut’ will be sent to the International Space Station ahead of tackling more ambitious tasks.
Russian designers FPI said one key task for Russia’s ‘cyber astronaut’, known as FEDOR, will be to “assist in construction and use of bases” on the moon and potentially other planets.
President Putin has told his space chiefs to make the first landing on the Moon within the next 15 years.
The last Russian lunar mission was sent in 1976 when the Luna-24 probe collected samples of soil before returning to Earth.
The latest mission will insinuate the return of Russia as a space power.
Meanwhile, Putin is planning to “rebuild” Russia by reestablishing the Soviet Union according to a retired general.
The warning from the retired general comes after Theresa May accused Moscow of planting fake stories” to “sow discord in the West”.
Addressing business leaders in London, the Prime Minister said Russia could be a valuable partner of the West but only it if “plays by the rules”.
Mrs May added: “Russia has repeatedly violated the national airspace of several European countries and mounted a sustained campaign of cyber espionage and disruption.
The Russian leader also announced via state media that his military would be strengthened with an additional 100,000 service personnel.
The reinforcements bring the size of Russia’s armed forces to 1.9 million, including more than one million active troops.
The announcement comes as Russia continues to exert its influence over Eastern Europe and the prospect of a conflict on the Korean Peninsula looms over East Asia.
Thousands of NATO troops are currently deployed in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to counter the possibility of a Russian invasion.
And Kremlin forces continue to operate in Ukraine as the bloody civil war in the former Soviet state approaches its fourth year.