Russia tries to get arms exports back
The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine is causing far more losses than the Kremlin had imagined. The country is trying to compensate for the high level of material wear and tear by unusual means - for example by asking long-standing arms customers to return weapons that were once supplied.
According to a US media report, Russia is trying to get back armaments that were supplied to allies in order to compensate for the high losses during the invasion of Ukraine. As the Wall Street Journal reports, the Kremlin has turned to long-standing defense customers such as Egypt, Brazil and Belarus to get helicopter engines back.
According to the newspaper, a delegation of Russian officials traveled to Cairo in April and asked Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi to return more than a hundred engines from Russian helicopters that Moscow needed for Ukraine, citing three people familiar with the matter. The Egyptian head of state agreed to the request. The delivery of around 150 engines is likely to begin next month. An Egyptian government spokesman declined to comment on the matter.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the talks are part of a larger Russian push to get help from longtime weapons customers. Russia had risen to become the world's second-largest arms exporter by selling aircraft, missiles and air defense systems.
Ammunition from North Korea
According to the report, Russia also held talks with Pakistan, Belarus and Brazil to acquire engines for Russian attack and transport helicopters. "Russia has spent decades building up its arms trade," the newspaper quotes one of the person as saying. "Now they are secretly going back to their customers and trying to buy back what they sold them."
Russia is trying to compensate for the high material losses in Ukraine, sometimes using unusual means. For example, planned arms exports were diverted to be used instead for the invasion of the neighboring country that began in February 2022. Russia has also ramped up its own arms industry to ensure the supply of ammunition and equipment. The West also accuses Russia of sourcing weapons and ammunition from Iran and North Korea.
After facing significant losses during their attack on Ukraine, Russia is attempting to acquire helicopter engines from previous arms export recipients, such as Egypt, to offset these losses. Additionally, the Russian defense industry is reportedly ramping up its own production to meet domestic demands for ammunition and equipment, while also allegedly sourcing weapons and ammunition from international suppliers like Iran and North Korea.
Source: www.ntv.de
