According to the New York Times, which published a recent US intelligence report that was recently secreted, the Russian army has lost 6000 pieces of equipment since Ukraine’s invasion on February 24. In addition, it uses munitions at a rate that cannot be compensated because Western sanctions have hurt Moscow’s defence and military industry.
Early in May, the United States became aware that Russia was having trouble meeting its sales commitments to foreign militaries and was lacking critical supplies for its armoured tanks, helicopters, diesel engines, and aviation engine parts.
The American newspaper says that since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the United States has focused its efforts on two fronts: providing Ukraine with major military aid, and the economic damage to Russia through extensive sanctions and imposing controls on export.
According to the intelligence study, export restrictions that only allow Russia to import cutting-edge technology have a negative impact on its capacity to produce sophisticated advanced weaponry.
The absence of simpler technology was also a result of Western sanctions. For instance, Russia has a bearing shortage that makes it difficult to build and maintain tanks, planes, submarines, and other types of military equipment.
According to the article, directives were given to Russian security services to smuggle in Western technology and its components in order to get over the restrictions.
Russia has resorted to countries such as Iran and North Korea, who are largely operating outside the international economic system, and are also subject to Western sanctions, for supplies.
US sanctions have since been placed on Iranian firms who manufactured and shipped the drones that Russia had purchased for use in Ukraine.
On the other hand, the latest statistic published by the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thursday, after 232 days of the Russian invasion, showed the losses of the Russian armed forces in numbers in Ukraine, until the date of October 13.
The ministry released a “infograph” detailing the equipment losses and claimed that more than 63,800 Russian servicemen have died since the invasion began.
According to an intelligence estimate, Russia suffered “massive” losses in Ukraine.
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