Russia is already producing more weapons and military equipment than it needs for its war against Ukraine and filling its warehouses, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said, according to the Kyiv Independent.
Despite Western efforts to undermine Russia’s industrial and military production, Moscow is only increasing its investment in arms production, allocating a record amount of its federal budget to the military industry.
As Russia moves into a war economy mode, “much or part of what is newly produced is no longer going to the front, it’s going to warehouses,” Pistorius told German media.
Germany’s defense minister has warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not stockpiling weapons just “as a precaution”. Instead, the Kremlin chief may have other “plans” in mind, Pistorius added.
Russia’s weapons production has put Ukraine at a disadvantage on the battlefield, allowing Russian troops to gain a 10-to-one advantage in some areas, particularly artillery.
“We still haven’t seen where Russia’s breaking point is,” Mark Riisik, deputy director in the political planning department of the Estonian Defense Ministry, told The Guardian.
“It (weapons production) is much higher than we expected, really,” he added.
Ukraine has struggled to keep pace with Russia in this regard, as Ukrainian and allied military production capabilities often lag behind the Kremlin’s.
CNN wrote in March that Russia produces three times the number of artillery shells than Washington or the EU can supply to Kiev.
While the West appears to be picking up the pace and aiming to ramp up production, it may take a year or more for the efforts to bear fruit.
Publisher: RK
Tags: Germany warns Russia producing weapons Ukraine warehouses Putin plans
