He made the comments at a meeting with army commanders after his inauguration on Tuesday but the footage was only released by the Kremlin on Thursday as Russia marked the 79th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany.
Putin said engineers were working "day and night" on improving Russia's military technology.
"Modern military technology is changing very fast. If we want to be successful, we always have to be one step ahead," he said.
"Our enemy has quite modern means since the whole Western community is working for our enemy," he continued.
"We know how difficult it is for our lads who find enemy drones flying over their heads like flies."
Putin also said that Russia looked abroad for some components.
"We will take, why hide it, what we can find on the international market. Despite the difficulties, we can find things... They have dual, triple and civilian use," he said.
The United States had accused China of helping Russia carry out its biggest militarisation since Soviet times.
US officials say China has provided dual-use supplies that have let Russia regroup in the face of a long delay in US aid to Ukraine.
In April, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said this included "machine tools, semiconductors, other dual-use items that have helped Russia rebuild the defence industrial base that sanctions and export controls had done so much to degrade".
China has rejected the US claims as "groundless accusations".
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