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Russian MoD to double high-precision weapons production
Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has called for the state-owned Tactical Missiles Corporation to double its production of high-precision weapons as both Moscow and Kyiv are reportedly experiencing ammunition shortages amid an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive.
During a meeting with top military brass on Tuesday, Shoigu acknowledged that the corporation had been fulfilling its contracts in a timely manner but stressed that doubling the production of high-precision weapons was necessary to prepare for the upcoming conflict.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Russian defense chief wants to double wartime missile output<a href="https://t.co/zH9kVL9lFE">https://t.co/zH9kVL9lFE</a> <a href="https://t.co/PmuSExFN5K">pic.twitter.com/PmuSExFN5K</a></p>— Defense News (@defense_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/defense_news/status/1653757252086398977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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The move comes amid concerns that Russia may be running low on high-precision ammunition, as its missile attacks against Ukraine have become less frequent and smaller in scale. The Institute for the Study of War suggested that Shoigu’s comments on missile production were likely aimed at deflecting from claims that his ministry was unable to keep Russian forces adequately stocked with ammunition.
The United Kingdom’s Defense Ministry echoed similar concerns, stating that “logistics problems remain at the heart of Russia’s struggling campaign in Ukraine”, adding that Russia does not have enough munitions to achieve success on the offensive.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has been actively preparing for the expected counteroffensive, with Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov stating on Monday that they are readying their forces and stockpiling ammunition to sustain the fight along potentially long supply lines.
The call for increased missile production also follows a series of drone attacks on Kyiv, with the most recent one occurring on Tuesday night. Ukrainian authorities reported that all the drones were shot down and there were no immediate reports of casualties or destruction. The Iranian-made Shahed drones used in the attacks were identified and destroyed, although it is not yet known how many were involved.
In a separate incident, a fuel storage facility in the village of Volna, in Russia’s southwestern region of Krasnodar, caught fire on Wednesday morning. The storage is located close to the Crimean Bridge, which links Russia’s mainland with Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula.
Although there is no immediate indication of the cause of the fire, it follows a drone strike early Saturday that set a Russian fuel storage facility in the Crimean port of Sevastopol on fire, which Moscow blamed on a Ukrainian attack. The incident comes on the heels of the derailment of two goods trains in the Russian region of Bryansk, which borders Ukraine and Belarus.
Russian officials have claimed that pro-Ukrainian sabotage groups have been responsible for multiple attacks since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, with Kyiv’s military reportedly focusing on undermining Russia’s logistics as part of preparations for its long-expected counteroffensive.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Monday that the country was readying for the counteroffensive and stockpiling ammunition to sustain it along potentially long supply lines.
“As of today, we are entering the home stretch, when we can say: ‘Yes, everything is ready'”, Reznikov said in televised comments about the expected forthcoming attack.
It is unclear how long the conflict will last or how it will end, but the escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine continue to be a concern for the international community. The situation has prompted widespread calls for diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict peacefully.
