Sanctions have not slowed down arms production in Russia. Indeed, Moscow has intensified its war efforts in Ukraine increasing the numbers in some sectors in an impressive manner, judging by the analysis of the British think tank Royal United Services Institute highlighted by NBC.
The sanctions, launched by the West in the last 2 years with a sequence of packages, should make the production of Russian weapons more complex due to the difficulty in obtaining materials and components that were previously easily obtainable. RUSI analysis, however, indicates that Moscow significantly increased production of ammunition for artillery, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and drones in 2022.
The data: boom in missile production
In 2021, before the invasion of Ukraine ordered by Vladimir Putin in February 2022, Moscow produced 56 Kj-101 cruise missiles in a year. According to data updated to 2023, according to the report, Russia has produced 460 cruise missiles. If before the invasion there were 50 Iskander missiles available, the number has reached at least 180.
The production of missiles and drones is linked to the import of microelectronic components: evidently, the sanctions adopted by the EU and the United States have not led to the closure of the channels. According to the report, in particular, Russia would have maintained relations with an Irish company in particular for the supply of antennas, components used for the production of the so-called ‘glide bombs’ widely used by Moscow’s armed forces.” In summary, despite the efforts backed by political will to disrupt Russia’s military-industrial production, there are few results to show for it,” according to the think tank.
The Solution: How to Slow Russian Weapons Production?
Experts who signed onto the report argue that it is still possible for the United States and its allies to block the supply or prohibitively increase the cost of electronic components, machinery and raw materials needed for Russia’s weapons production.
To make sanctions even more effective, according to the report, governments should create an ‘intelligence coordination centre’ for more profitable sharing of information, including classified information, to allow the timely application of export controls.
Sharing information would allow coordinated action, including interventions out of the spotlight, to undermine Russia’s weapons production, the report said. There are “several stages during the production process where intervention, whether overt or covert, can cause delays, damage the quality” of weapons or result in “a serious increase in Russia’s weapons production costs.” .
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