NATO adviser: Sanctions make it difficult for Russia to build advanced weapons

Western sanctions are starting to affect Russia’s ability to build advanced weapons systems for the war in Ukraine, a top NATO military adviser told Reuters, admitting however that Russian industry can still make “too many munitions”. .

The United States, the European Union and other countries have announced several packages of sanctions against Moscow following the February 24 invasion of Ukraine. Among them was a ban on the sale of advanced technology to Russia.

“They are increasingly hampered by sanctions because some of the components they need for their weapons systems come from Western industries,” said Rob BauerDutch admiral who chairs the NATO Military Commission.

“We’re now seeing the first serious indications of that, in terms of their ability to build, for example, cruise missiles and more advanced weapons,” he added.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Tuesday that the loss of technology due to European sanctions is severely hurting Moscow’s ability to continue producing weapons.

Both warring sides face challenges because this conventional war requires the consumption of military equipment at a rate not seen in decades, Bauer said.

“As far as we know, the Russians still have a significant industrial base and are capable of making a lot of munitions. And they still have a lot of ammunition,” he added, speaking ahead of a two-day meeting of NATO’s Military Commission starting later today in Estonia.

Bauer estimated that about 85% of Russian soldiers are already fighting in Ukraine, limiting Russia’s ability to expand its military presence as it cannot declare general conscription without simultaneously declaring war. “We are seeing a limited number of new troops entering the fray. And one thing we are sure of is that their level of education is not very high,” he added.

This month Ukraine surprised Russia with its counterattack in the Kharkiv region, where Kyiv says it has recaptured an area of ​​9,000 square kilometers, roughly the size of Cyprus. Bauer said the advance was successful largely because Ukrainian soldiers had been trained in NATO standards since 2014, which allowed them to take the initiative.

“One of the reasons (the Ukrainians) are so successful right now is that the Russians are fighting the old-fashioned way. Each unit receives instructions from higher authorities and therefore, if something changes, they await a new order. The Ukrainians advanced so quickly that the Russians did not receive them (including the new orders) and were forced to retreat.”

RES-EMP

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