Russian government to back defense companies' contracts

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Russian government will provide state guarantees for defense industry contracts for up to five years, RIA news agency cited Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev as saying on Monday. "I have signed ... a government order to provide guarantees for up to five years for defense companies when they are fulfilling state defense contracts," the agency cited Medvedev as saying at a government meeting. (Reporting by Lidia Kelly, editing by Elizabeth Piper)