Moscow’s stockpile is obviously not exhausted, despite claims to the contrary from Britain, the United States, and Ukraine, according to the New York Times.
The government in Kiev, the Pentagon, and British intelligence spent months claiming that Moscow’s stockpiles were running low. The New York Times offered four potential explanations for how Russia was able to launch a significant number of missiles into Ukraine.
The British Ministry of Defense stated that the attack on October 10 was directed at British infrastructure, whereas Ukraine claimed last month that Russia had used up 70% of its pre-war missile stockpile. Russia “may restrict its ability to hit as many targets as it wants.”
With 96 missiles, the attack on November 15—described by The New York Times as the “largest aerial attack” in the conflict thus far—”raises the question of how Russia’s arsenal could be depleted. “How much is depleted, and whether Moscow can withstand it by locating alternate weapons supplies.”
The Pentagon offers one possibility, asserting that Russia ran out of missiles as early as May. Although the Pentagon has publicly stated otherwise, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin claimed on November 16 that Russia was “reaching out” to Iran and North Korea to restock its weapons supplies.
Moscow, Tehran, and Pyongyang all refute this, though. According to reports, the US is reportedly attempting to purchase South Korean artillery ammunition for Kyiv.
Another theory is supported by Ukraine’s assertion that Russia employed S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to strike ground targets. Following Kiev’s attempt to place the blame on Moscow for the S-300 attack on the Polish town of Przewodow on November 15 that resulted in the deaths of two civilians.
Vladimir V. Putin, the president of Russia, declared last month that measures were being made domestically to enhance production of machinery and systems “related to providing assistance for special military operations” in Ukraine.
The US and its allies’ long-standing technology embargo on Russia may be being used by that country to construct additional missiles, according to British intelligence agency Janes.
Iskander, Kalibr, and cruise missile mass manufacturing may have begun in Russia before February, and it is “likely under way right now,” as Russian defence operations around-the-clock.
According to Mark Cancian of the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Washington, very few individuals in the West are aware of the exact number of missiles Russia has in its arsenal and that Moscow may be hiding some of them. in the case of a direct conflict with NATO.
