Russia sharply increased the production capacity of ammunition and weapons, while Ukraine set up combat units, urging the West to speed up the delivery of weapons.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on March 28 that the production of some types of ammunition in the country will increase 7-8 times from now until the end of the year.
“The defense industry will increase capacity to meet the needs of the army, by the end of this year, the output of some types of ammunition will increase 7-8 times,” the statement said.
The statement added that Russia is implementing projects to modernize and expand production as well as increase the productivity of workers in the defense industry sector.
The statement was made after the visit of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to a number of enterprises in the defense sector in the Chelyabinsk and Kirov regions. A video released by the ministry shows Mr Shoigu visiting a factory that makes large artillery and ammunition.
Earlier, in an interview with state television, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the country’s defense industry “is developing at a very fast rate” and will produce three times more ammunition than ammunition. provided by the West to Ukraine.
Russia is expanding and accelerating ammunition production amid speculation that Moscow’s stockpile has run out and it needs more resources for a new offensive to break the deadlock on the battlefield. However, Western analysts are skeptical that Russia can significantly accelerate industrial production and restore supply chains.
Meanwhile, Ukraine also confirmed that it was preparing to counterattack. Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation Mikhail Fedorov yesterday said that the country’s military has formed the first three companies of attack UAVs, with self-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of Ukraine.
“All three companies of attacking UAVs are ready to fight. They are fully equipped with personnel, and pickup trucks. Other equipment is privately funded,” said Mr. Fedorov. The UAVs will perform both offensive and reconnaissance missions.
He added that these three units are also provided with Starlink internet equipment developed by the company of US technology billionaire Elon Musk. This will bring “a whole new approach to drone management, training, and doctrine,” he said.
UAVs are considered to play an important role in the conflict that has lasted more than a year in Ukraine. Russia uses UAVs for large-scale strikes against vital infrastructure in Ukraine. Moscow also accused Ukraine of being behind the drone attacks across the Russian border. Russian Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov said on March 28 that raids on key Russian energy infrastructure were a serious threat.
Ukraine did not disclose a specific time to counterattack, but the country’s officials said it was about to happen when the West handed over more weapons to Kyiv. Some experts believe that Ukraine will counterattack around April or May.
