NOVOSIBIRSK, August 11. /TASS/. The first research stations of the Siberian Ring Photon Source (SKIF) are expected to be put into operation by the end of 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting of the Council for Science and Education.

"We expect its first research stations to be commissioned by the end of the year," he said.

Putin added that SKIF was one of the world's most powerful particle accelerators, unmatched worldwide in certain parameters.

According to the president, after some countries refused to supply equipment for the Siberian Ring Photon Source, Russia strengthened its domestic capabilities and emerged stronger. "To build the stations, Russia developed 30 pieces of critical equipment independently because, as I have already said, our partners in some countries refused to supply them," he noted.

"As a result, we had to postpone the launch of SKIF. But the positive side is that we grew stronger. This is exactly the case where we strengthened our technological capabilities in this field and reinforced our technological sovereignty. We acquired further technological expertise to complement what we already had," Putin added.