Russia produces more ammunition, but its quality is declining – Ukraine's intel chief
Photo: open sources
Since the end of last year, Russia has been producing more ammunition, but its quality is decreasing.
Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov stated this in an interview with Le Monde, Rubryka reports.
"Comparing it to previous years, we have observed an increase in the quantity of ammunition produced by Russia since the end of the summer of 2023. At the same time, we note a decrease in the quality of these projectiles," said Budanov.
According to him, Russian missiles have several shortcomings, including frequent inaccuracies. In response, the Ukrainian Armed Forces promptly retaliated the attacks, targeting Russian military facilities.
The head of intelligence pointed out that missile strikes from Russia are driven by the aggressor's desire to declare 2023 "victorious," but Russians have not achieved any real military successes.
"The intensive use of drones on both sides has made it impossible to conduct offensive operations for both the Russians and Ukrainians. Another factor is the density of minefields, which hasn't been seen since World War II," said Budanov.
He mentioned that electronic countermeasures are the solution for drones, and specialized equipment is required for mines.
As for the Black Sea, Budanov stated that the northern part of the sea and gas extraction platforms were under Ukraine's control. Meanwhile, the maritime export corridors, crucial for the Ukrainian economy, are operational again despite the risks.
"We regularly attack the enemy's naval fleet and port facilities, so the Russians hastily had to shift everything to the southeast. They are trying to establish a naval base in Ochamchira (Abkhazia)," said the intel chief.
He added that the first Ukrainian landings took place on the occupied Crimea in 2023, which some thought was impossible. This gives hope, especially to Ukrainians on the peninsula who have lived under Russian occupation for ten years, and many of them were beginning to lose hope.
Budanov noted that everyone thought Moscow had a strong army but a weak economy. However, it turned out to be the opposite. The Russian army is weak, but the economy may be weak, too, yet the country is by no means starving. At the current pace, it can hold out for quite a long time.
The head of the intelligence believes that the current Western sanctions are insufficient. They should have targeted Russia's key economic sectors: energy, metallurgy, and the overall financial system.
Budanov also emphasized that Ukraine needs more projectiles and artillery systems. This includes not only modern technologies but everything, including old systems that are no longer in use. The quantity is crucial.
In related news, European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services Thierry Breton stated that the EU has already increased defense production volumes and will be able to fulfill the plan to deliver a million projectiles to Ukraine in March of this year.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with heads of American defense companies during his visit to the United States in December. The Ukrainian leader emphasized that Ukraine is ready to and will produce more ammunition and military equipment, but it needs support from such powerful companies. This includes joint production of artillery projectiles, air defense systems, artillery, and missile systems.
As previously reported by Rubryka, next year, Ukraine plans to significantly increase the production of weapons, with a focus on missiles and ammunition for air defense systems.
