Posted on 09/15/2023 9:52:27 AM PDT by Kazan
For months on end, the mainstream media kept peddling the narrative that, because of the sanctions, not only the Russian economy was doomed to fail, they were also running out of ammo, missiles and all kinds of military equipment.
Unsurprisingly, it was not true.
Daily, news coming from the frontlines showed how the Russian Federation forces were outgunning the Ukrainians in every particular, implementing their ‘attrition warfare’ to incapacitate the enemy forces by slowly destroying both equipment and troops.
Now, the cat is out of the box, and it has been made public that, as a result of the push to circumvent the sanctions, they are now producing more ammunition than the United States and Europe together.
Russian military industrial complex is vastly overproducing all the west in terms of production of weapons, and it is estimated that the Russian ammunition production is seven times greater than that of the West.
The New York Times reported:
“Russia has managed to overcome sanctions and export controls imposed by the West to expand its missile production beyond prewar levels, according to U.S., European and Ukrainian officials, leaving Ukraine especially vulnerable to intensified attacks in the coming months.”
While sanctions did slow Russian production of missiles and other weapons for some six months, Russia rebuilt the trade in critical components by routing them through countries like Armenia and Turkey.
“Russia’s re-energized military production is especially worrisome because Moscow has used artillery to pound Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines, and its missiles to attack the electric grid and other critical infrastructure, and to terrorize civilians in cities. Officials fear that increased missile stocks could mean an especially dark and cold winter for Ukrainian citizens.
[…] Today, Russian officials have remade their economy to focus on defense production. With revenue from high energy prices, Russia’s security services and ministry of defense have been able to smuggle in the microelectronics and other Western materials required for cruise missiles and other precision guided weaponry. As a result, military production has not only recovered but surged.”
Western officials estimate Russia is on track to manufacture two million artillery shells a year – and do it cheaply, too: a Western country spends $5,000 to $6,000 to make an artillery round, whereas it costs Russia about $600 to produce a comparable shell.
They significantly ramp up production, crushing the unrealistic expectation that Moscow would not react to the American curbs.
“’Because the controls were having a real impact, the Russian government didn’t just throw up their hands and say, ‘You got us, we give up’,’ said Matthew S. Axelrod, the Commerce Department’s assistance secretary for export enforcement. ‘They got more and more creative with their evasion attempts. And we have been really aggressively working a number of different ways to clamp down’.”
Oooooo… bad Zeeper news 😖
So the sanctions are a failure
The Russians also managed to overcome even harsher German sanctions and interventions.
The russians have nearly unlimited supply of oil, Diamonds, Gold, Uranium, and wood. Why would they need dollars. China and India will trade with them. So will 30 other countries. Russia may have been bruised by sanctions but they have lots of ways around sanctions.
I can believe that they could overcome some sanctions and this maybe true for some of the more basic ammunitions. But, I doubt the veracity of these reports to the extent this article says. Russia is largely an incompetent society and it’s far more corrupt then Ukraine. So, I think this is just more propaganda. The war is not a failure for Ukraine they clearly have the upper hand.
They produce their own lead while our government won’t allow US to.
.223 ammo was 21 cents/pop. Can’t get it anymore.
Is this correct? A 155mm shell costs $5000 in the US? Someone needs to go to prison. Several people. Civilian and military.
At the rate Russia is using Ammo and losing arms it has to produce a lot, to replace all it is using & losing.
“...I doubt the veracity of these reports to the extent this article says. Russia is largely an incompetent society and it’s far more corrupt then Ukraine. So, I think this is just more propaganda. The war is not a failure for Ukraine they clearly have the upper hand.”
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Appears your doubts are based upon conflicting information from your own preferred news sources, as well as a considerable amount of propaganda being peddled by the US government and its cheerleaders in the media.
With regards to corruption, exactly how do you conclude that Russia is more corrupt than Ukraine, or better yet, more corrupt than the USA? Our government has already given Ukraine well over $200 billion since the February of 2022 and is preparing to give them another $25 billion this week. Where is that money going? Who are the beneficiaries? What about the billions upon billions, if not trillions of unaccounted for funds sent to Iraq and Afghanistan?
Hte to burst your bubble, but the USA is actually the most corrupt nation in the history of western civilization. War after war beginning with Vietnam, and all motivated, justified based upon lies and false flags which have cost us taxpayers trillions upon trillions of dollars. Our treasury, natural resources and the future of our children have been looted by the government and unelected bureaucrats.
But hey, at least you have your computer, TV, streaming internet service and a jumbo bag of Cheetos to keep you entertained.
It seems that for you the New York Times is reliable when it supports Russia, and unreliable when it doesn't. They have a long history of shilling for Russia.
The truth is probably classified, but my first question would be what kind of 155mm shell. I would not be surprised at all if the "average" US 155mm shell costs $5,000 because the M982 is estimated to cost almost $113,000. Of course it is guided and instantly destroys whatever it is aimed at.
Other Western 155mm shells have a variety of levels of technology, including guided bomblets, extended range rocket motors, etc. They cost more than traditional artillery shells but are more effective, miss less, and allow less shots to do more damage.
A recent purchase by Israel shows a price much less than $5,000 per standard 155mm artillery shell.
Don't be fooled by Russian propaganda or idiot journalists at the New York Times.
Another patriotic, conservative American.
I am well up on the corruption between the DoD and Defense Contractors. I doubt that the Russians need to make up anything.
Yeah. They were called “The Atlantic Convoys’’.
An Excalibur Guided Munition however in much more expensive.
Around $110, 000.
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I have been saying this for a while now. Just look at the incredibly corrupt Biden and his Garland Justice department. I am sure Donald Trump would agree about that.
Also the incredibly wasteful, useless, and losing war against Russia in Ukraine. That war covers up Biden's Ukraine corruption and funds the Deep State politicians at the same time. They pay the MIC with Ukraine funding and the MIC then pays the politicians back with their support. The MIC constantly needs to find new enemies or else go out of business. Ukraine was perfect for them.
Rheinmetall still states they will produce 600k 155 mm shells in 2024, with increases after that (apparently they have the orders). USA is presently at ~300k / year and increasing. Other NATO mfgrs are ramping up too, and that doesn’t include the joint Polish / South Korean projects.
That still leaves Russia ahead in 2024 IF they can really hit their 2 million (equal doubts on all sides?) but the kicker is that NATO has expensive but far more accurate shells.
If the goal is to destroy everything in front of you, accuracy isn’t needed. But, that takes a LOT of ammo. If your goal is to efficiently pick off the enemy, accuracy works wonders.
HIMARS might seem to be a bottleneck, but, heck, I still can’t confirm the US has sent any more than 24 launchers at most. We are up to ~500 in inventory, with close to 100 to be delivered to US stocks in 2023. (The 500 qty. includes some of those.)
Again, other countries are also now involved, Poland is working with South Korea, etc.
In other categories, such as air launched (ATG) missiles (to go on F-16’s?) the US has massive inventories and healthy ongoing production of many types. Just the AGM-158 by itself is a lot of firepower on hand.
Oops, meant to include “All” in my last post!
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