Russia’s Munitions Shortages Raise Questions Over How Long It Can Continue Ukraine War

The Wall Street Journal ^ | November 22, 2022 | Stephen Fidler and Ann M. Simmons

[Timber Rattler]

Russia has been burning through equipment, ammunition and weaponry at rates that have raised questions about how effectively and for how long it can continue to prosecute its war against Ukraine.

The challenge of sustaining the military effort isn’t unique to Russia, which after making significant territorial gains early in the war has been yielding territory back to Ukraine in phases.

Both sides have suffered heavy losses of men and materiel since the invasion began in February, but Moscow is more dependent on its own shrinking economy to replenish supplies than Kyiv is. Ukraine’s economy has been more devastated than Russia’s, but has more powerful backers in the U.S. and its allies, which are providing billions of dollars of military and economic aid.

“They are running low on everything,” Eliot Cohen, chair in strategy at the Washington, D.C.-based bipartisan Center for Strategic and International Studies, said of the Russians. A significant proportion of the Russian arsenal brought out of storage has deteriorated because of corruption, mismanagement and poor maintenance, he said.

[SuperLuminal]

I have 5 or 6 extra cases of 7.62 that they can have for $4000 per case plus shipping...

[DownInFlames]

We’ve been hearing this since Day 1.

[hardspunned]

It’s the same BS lie he has posted month after month after month. Always total BS. He will continue posting the same retread BS with a different shoveler for the duration. Yeah, it is impressive that a fool like that doesn’t see how ridiculous he looks. Of course, a guy standing next to him at media slopping trough might not get it. Haven’t you noticed the same lie being proven a lie time and time again. Don’t tell me you’re one of the media stooges hanging on the next “Russians beaten” shovel full.

[sinsofsolarempirefan]

The way I see it this is going to benefit NATO the way the 2nd Anglo Boer war did the British. Revealing a whole host of deficiencies and shortcomings in a less important conflict so that the lessons can be learned before the bigger one later (probably against China).

Before no America and the West was sleepwalking complacently into handing over more economic dependency to hostile adversary states and running down the military. Now all of that is being reassessed, NATO is expanding, military tactics against peer level powers in the modern age are being tested and policy is going to make us better prepared going forward. Russia has done us a favour, and we haven’t had to spill any of our own blood learning these lessons the hard way.

[jdsteel]

Energy does not equal offensive weaponry.

[jdsteel]

‘ Russia has a massive industrial capacity”

Did you not read the article or are you saying you don’t believe what was written?

[hardspunned]

No, but I’m in just as much danger from you and your big guy and his other warmongering allies. When your buddies start WWIII, we all die. Don’t have to ask about you, you scream your state of delusion with each “trust in the big guy” post.

[jdsteel]

“Yet another “Ukraine boner” story!”

Your post belies your tag.

And if there are “boners” here they belong to the Putin BoyZ as they gaze lovingly at their posters of Pootie Poot.

[jdsteel]

The greatest loss of innocent life will come if Putin continues to knock out the civilian power grid during winter.

IMHO it will only serve to harden the resolve of Ukrainian defense forces…if such a thing is possible.

[PGR88]

“Russians have the capability to produce 93 missiles per month of low quality parts and materials.” - Better

NO! 50 retired and active CIA analysts have told CNN that Russia can produce 105 missiles per month, of the Khaliber XS50 variety and Kinzal Z332 model at their factory at Krasnagorsk. (add bullshit meaningless details too - best of all!)

[FlyingEagle]

This is a stellar example of United States Government, Democratic Party Marxist Media bullshittery, disinformation, misinformation, lies, gaslighting and propaganda, cloaked in the mantle of a seemingly reliable and authorized source - obviously seeded by the militarized and brutal Marxist controlled secret intelligence agency See Eye Hay.

Thank you for showing us exactly what Lies look like.

[Flick Lives]

LOL! That is indeed way better! I like the reference to retired and active CIA analysts.

[Thunder90]

Then why haven’t we. We haven’t sent in F16 fighters, Abrams tanks, Patriot missiles or Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, equipment that we sell to the Saudis and Egyptians of all people. And yes, Russia has plenty of spare industrial capacity. And Chinese weapons are showing up, being used on Ukraine (under the guise that they are Iranian, but they are Chinese designed and manufactured, and China is OK with it as Biden and NATO dissed Xi).

[taxcontrol]

Russia’s attack started as shock and awe.
Then deteriorated to fire and maneuver
Then deteriorated to lines and defensive positions

Now it is a logistics war.

Whoever first runs out of men, food, material, arms will loose.

[CarolinaReaganFan]

you trolls are so desperate to post your propaganda.
did you even notice that it’s behind a paywall - LOL
u trolls been saying this since march.
go away . you Biden butt boys are funny tho.

[SpeedyInTexas]

Archived version: https://archive.ph/gqEBi

Timber Rattler: Thanks for posting!

[Widget Jr]

Related: Oleksii Reznikov Ukraine government official, October 14, 2022.

Demilitarization of russia.
By using hundreds of high-precision missiles against civilian objects of Ukraine, the aggressor state reduces its ability to strike the military targets.
Two conclusions:
- russia's military defeat is inevitable;
- russia is a terrorist state.

Estimates of available Russian cruise and intermediate range ballistic missiles were down to just 600 last month. Russia has used a hundred mixed weapons and Iranian drones since then. Assuming a slow production rate, that Russia can not deploy all of them and has to keep some back, Russia has only a few massed salvoes left unless they are willing to run out. Ukraine is simultaneously improving its air defenses so fewer get through, and the Shaheeds are easier to shoot down than a KH series or Iskander, which makes it less likely for Russia to keep firing massed salvoes now.

This suggests attacks on infrastructure have done as much as they can. The time where they had the possibility of driving Ukraine to negotiate has passed. What matters now is how much the winter hurts each side. That is between Ukraine having the lights out and Russian soldiers making field shelters out of whatever is available to them. I am not betting on the side improvising igloos and making shelters out of plastic wrap and snow.

[Bookshelf]

For as long as I can recall the US Army Ordnance had been commanded by a Brigadier General. This lack of rank is one reason why ring-knocking West Pointers have wanted nothing to do with Ordnance. And thus the reason why it is a red-haired step child of the US. Army. There is nothing theoretical or deep thinking that comes from Ordnance itself (Aberdeen Proving Ground is not really its own operation), and that is a shame. This war in Ukraine demonstrates just how important the availability of ordnance is in the conduct of warfare.

[Kazan]

Russia is running out of munitions and missiles again, just like they have been for eight months.

Yet, a moron like Timber keeps repeating the propaganda that has been consistently wrong.

What would one expect from Never Trumper.

https://sonar21.com/for-the-love-of-god-someone-tell-putin-hes-out-of-precision-missiles/

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, SOMEONE TELL PUTIN HE’S OUT OF PRECISION MISSILES!!

Given that Professor Sonin and the other distinguished cretins pontificating on Russia’s missile shortage have been so consistently wrong during the last eight months, I want to encourage them to start offering some investment picks. We have a solid empirical record to conclude that whatever they suggest, do the opposite. They do not have a clue about Russia’s military capability.

[kabar]

China is our biggest existential threat. Russia was not a conventional military threat to Europe and NATO. This is not the 1960s and the Soviet Union.

Russia’s nuclear arsenal is the only reason that it is considered a major military power. But MAD negates much of it being a threat to Europe. Russia doesn’t have the conventional military wherewithal to conquer and occupy Europe. No more worries of Russia coming through the Fulda Gap, a concern when I was assigned to NATO in the late 60s.

China continues to build its military strength while we squander away billions defending Ukraine, a country we have no treaty obligation to defend. We are broke. Our debt servicing costs are $400 billion a year and will approach $1 trillion by 2029 when they will exceed our expenditures on defense.