Seven times more than in the West: missile production in Russia exceeds pre-war levels despite sanctions

Despite the sanctions imposed by Western countries, Russia has managed to increase missile production, surpassing pre-war levels.

This information is reported by The New York Times, citing officials from the United States, Europe, and Ukraine.

According to sources within the publication, Western sanctions slowed down missile production in Russia in the first half of 2022. However, by the end of the year, the situation had changed dramatically.

According to the NYT, the Russian Ministry of Defense and Russian intelligence agencies organized clandestine deliveries of key missile components through countries such as Armenia and Turkey.

“American and European regulatory authorities are making joint efforts to restrict the export of microchips to Russia, but they are struggling to stop the flow passing through countries with ties to Moscow,” the article states.

One of the reasons Russia has been able to increase production is the high prices of energy resources.

According to an anonymous representative of one of the Western defense agencies, before the war, Russia could produce 100 tanks a year, but now they are producing 200.

Furthermore, Russia is currently producing more ammunition than Europe and the United States, as reported by the NYT. According to Kusti Salm, the Chancellor of the Estonian Ministry of Defense, current missile production in Russia is seven times higher than that in the West.