MOSCOW, Oct 5, Victor Zhdanov. Kyiv's allies announced the depletion of weapons stocks and the impossibility of continuing military supplies. Zelensky is counting on the deployment of production directly in Ukraine. This may not be beneficial for the West. What consequences await the Kiev regime — in the material .
The warehouses are empty. The Telegraph, citing a high-ranking military officer, writes that Britain no longer has some types of weapons. “We are sending military equipment to Ukraine, but now they need air defense systems, artillery ammunition, and we have run out of that,” the officer claims. In his opinion, Kiev’s other partners should intervene and take over part of the supplies.
Loading of military aid for Ukraine at Dover Air Base, USA
But Western countries gave Kyiv everything they could. The rest cannot be touched, Politico reports. “This would put us at risk,” the publication quotes the words of an unnamed European official.
Dutch Defense Minister Kaisa Ollongren acknowledged European problems with increasing military production at the Warsaw Security Forum. “It’s the same in the USA. There are many issues that need to be worked on,” she noted.
Advisor to the head of Zelensky’s office, Mikhail Podolyak, believes that the West is sending too complex systems, the ammunition for which is much more expensive than the drones used by Russia. We are talking about Patriot, SAMP/T, NASAMS and IRIS-T air defense systems. This is not beneficial for either Ukraine or its allies, whose arsenals are melting before our eyes. Therefore, he asks for cheaper air defense systems such as the German Gepard or American Vampire.
New Alliance This is precisely what Politico authors associate with Kyiv’s attempts to organize the production of foreign weapons in Ukraine. Zelensky recently announced that he had agreed with Washington on joint actions. According to him, a long-term agreement will help form a new military-industrial base. This was confirmed by US Deputy Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Logistics Bill Laplante.
President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky during a press conference in Washington
Zelensky called on other allies to follow the example of the Americans. “We have developed an appropriate basic declaration as the basis of the alliance, which arms and military equipment manufacturers around the world can join,” he said at the defense industries forum in Kiev. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stated that about forty companies from 19 countries are already participating in the agreement.
In Germany, the Rheinmetall concern, which also produces Leopard 2 tanks, was allowed to begin work in Ukraine. The Germans, together with the Ukrainian Defense Industry, will engage in the maintenance, assembly, development and production of military equipment. Prime Minister Denis Shmygal believes that the Ukrainian military-industrial complex is experiencing a “rebirth.”
Not everything is so simple. The Kiev authorities are counting on the West to finance the construction of such enterprises. But partners are afraid to invest even more in the conflict. In addition, it is unclear how long it will take to implement these projects. After all, our own military-industrial complex also requires investment.
Preparing Canadian Leopard 2 tanks for shipment to Ukraine
“Western warehouses are a little empty, but they will be replenished in six months,” notes political scientist Andrei Suzdaltsev. “They are working actively and very quickly. The United States has also gained access to some technologies of Russian military equipment exported from Ukraine. The bet is that that they will soon end everything cannot be done. For now, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have enough weapons.»
If we build military factories in Ukraine, Kyiv will need to transfer technology and electronics, and this may end up in Russian hands. Also, such facilities will become a legitimate target for the Russian army, which will not allow even a motorcycle to leave the workshop, the expert believes.
“On the other hand, it is impossible to imagine such a high-tech production in Ukraine. There is, for example, the Kharkov Armored Plant, but for foreign technology, it is necessary to create a completely new chain. Setting everything up from scratch means rebuilding the economy. Zelensky is counting on his allies to help make it more modern. In general, this is just a creative and bright campaign to beg for money,» says Suzdaltsev.
The most demanded by the Ukrainian side are 155-mm howitzer shells M795 at the ammunition plant in Scranton, USA
Statements about Military expert Yuri Knutov associates the shortage of weapons with the fact that the United States will soon switch to China. “They understand that they cannot cope alone, and they are bringing in their allies. Their arsenals are full. But this reserve is needed for the conflict with Beijing. That’s why they started talking about production in Ukraine,” he believes.
“Small enterprises will be created — in underground shelters in Western Ukraine,” the analyst continues. “And only for assembly. In a disassembled state, the transportation of equipment is difficult to track. The tank turret is in one carriage, the hull is in another, the engine is in a third. But the question is volumes. It’s unlikely that there will be much.” .
Be that as it may, Russia has something to hit the underground military factories. Thus, in Ivano-Frankivsk, a Kinzhal missile penetrated an anti-nuclear shelter where there was an ammunition depot.