Moscow reports record orders for weapons
Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said on Monday that interest in Russia’s weapons abroad is at a record level.
During his meeting with President Vladimir Putin, Manturov said, “The maximum order value by 2022 was 55 billion dollars. Today we have a record with 70 billion dollars in signed contracts.” he said.
Manturov attributed this to the war Putin ordered against Ukraine in 2022. “The technology tested within the framework of military special operations advertises itself,” he said. Russian officials describe the Ukraine war as a special military operation.
According to Manturov, Russian air defense systems, aircraft and multiple rocket launchers are in particular demand.
But high levels of orders also have a downside: As recently as December, Manturov admitted that export orders had to take a backseat to the Russian military’s demand for new weapons, meaning they would be processed with delays.
Russian war propagandists such as Margarita Simonyan, head of state media owner RT, had initially predicted a quick Russian victory in the war against Ukraine; In reality, the conflict was the result of World War II of the Soviet Union. It lasted longer than the defensive struggle against Nazi Germany in World War II.
Moscow now explains the length of the conflict by claiming that Russia is fighting against the entire West in Ukraine, even though NATO has not sent any troops to Ukraine. However, the West provides arms aid to the country at war for its own defense.
