Russian attack | Expert: Russia’s arms deals with Iran and North Korea indicate that the country’s situation is “very difficult”

Foreign countries|Russian invasion

Russia now seems to be acquiring new military equipment for its army from other countries that are well aware of Western sanctions.

According to recently released US intelligence, the Kremlin has agreed to buy millions of munitions and missiles from North Korea. Earlier it was reported that Iran has sold unmanned aerial vehicles to Russia, the first cargo of which has already been delivered to Russia. News about Russian arms sales The New York Times newspaper.

Russia is the world’s second largest arms exporter with a large military industry. The country has a long tradition of producing its military equipment itself and from its own starting points, states the head of the Russia research group, lieutenant colonel Simo Pesu From the National Defense University.

“The procurement of weapons and ammunition from Iran and North Korea shows that Russia’s shortcomings are immediate and the situation is very difficult,” says Pesu.

The US official source of The New York Times also estimates that the arms deals are a sign of the Kremlin’s desperation. At the same time, any kind of purchase of weapons Kim Jong-un led by the dictatorship is against UN resolutions.

Need buying weapons from abroad arises either from production problems or from a great need. In the case of Russia, it is probably both: the war of aggression in Ukraine has caused significant equipment losses, which must be repaired. At the same time, sanctions imposed by the West make it difficult to acquire the technology needed by the military industry.

Politico magazine wrote on Tuesday about the shortage of microchips and electronics plaguing the Russian military industry. Russia needs weapons to build several components that it does not manufacture itself.

“Russia was left with undeveloped industrial sectors as a legacy of the Soviet Union, such as the semiconductor industry and machine construction,” says Pesu.

According to Politico, Ukraine has issued international warnings about Russian “shopping lists”. The shopping lists concern transformers, semiconductors, connectors and other components required by the military industry sold by US, European and Asian companies. The leadership in Kyiv has pleaded that international companies would not help Russia with its technology shortage.

Russian soldiers carry bread during the Vostok 2022 military exercises in the Russian Far East on September 6. More than 50,000 soldiers and several pro-Russian countries, including China, are participating in the military exercises. Picture: Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP

Iran and North Korea, according to Pesu, are “natural partners” for Russia, which is waging a protracted war. Both countries have a long experience of organizing society under international sanctions.

Cooperation will probably bring something to everyone, because from the perspective of Iran and North Korea, Russia has a significant economy and production capacity. North Korea and Iran, on the other hand, have long experience in organizing the economy and building weapons under sanctions.

“At the same time, turning to Iran and North Korea suggests that China has not been very willing to cooperate directly.”

China has a close relationship with Russia, and the two countries have joint military exercises. At the same time, however, China is strongly attached to the international market and therefore fears that arms exports will cause sanctions. It has much more to lose than Iran and North Korea, which are already very isolated.

In public there has been talk of Iran supplying Russia with some hundreds of unmanned aerial vehicles and North Korea primarily ammo. However, the details of the war industry deals are secret.

Iran has an advanced drone program that it and its allies have used successfully in their operations. According to US officials, Russia could use aircraft from Iran for electronic warfare, airstrikes and identification of strategic targets in Ukraine.

An Iranian military drone was launched from the deck of a warship during an exercise at the end of August. Picture: Information Department of the Iranian Army / Zuma

According to Pesu, North Korea’s arms industry and its possibilities are familiar to Russia after decades of military cooperation with the Soviet Union.

Fresh ones Arms deals can meet Russia’s immediate needs, but their significance in terms of the overall war is limited, Pesu estimates.

“Ammunition, individual weapon systems and a few hundred aircraft will ease the problems of the coming months, but they won’t solve the war,” he says.

However, in the long term, cooperation with Iran and North Korea may prove fruitful for Russia. Both countries have been developing their military industries and weapons systems for decades, although they have had major problems in getting foreign technology across borders due to sanctions.

“Russia will have to deepen its relations with Iran and North Korea, and the parties will benefit from joint economic arrangements under Western sanctions.”