Western Officials Say Russia Lacks Ammunition Production For War In Ukraine

JAKARTA - Western officials on Wednesday said Russia was short on domestic ammunition production to meet its needs in the fight against Ukraine, but that did not make President Vladimir Putin desperate to conquer the country.

The Russian military industry is also battling the impact of sanctions, the officials said, adding the country's inability to access Western components had weakened its ability to produce new systems and improve old systems.

A summary of Western officials of this situation comes as the Ukraine war enters its third year, with Russia in power after taking over Avdivka City in Ukraine and amid warnings Ukraine is also running out of ammunition.

"We do not believe Russia has meaningful plans other than continuing to fight in the hope that the number of Russian workers and equipment will ultimately show this," said an official who did not wish to be named, quoted by Reuters on February 22.

The supply shortage in Ukraine is the focus of attention due to their dependence on Western support in terms of money and equipment. This is mainly with the United States, where political disputes in Washington have hampered aid worth US$61 billion.

The supply of limited artillery shells, and experts and soldiers on the front lines estimates that Russian artillery is now firing five times the speed of Ukraine's artillery fire.

However, Western officials say Russia is also suffering from problems due to sanctions that have a negative impact on military production, causing delays and increasing costs, thus unable to meet war demands.

"The consequence is Moscow is asking for military equipment aimed at foreign allies," they said.

Last March, the Indian Air Force said Russia failed to deliver an important supply of its commitment to the Indian military due to the war in Ukraine.

"Russia's current domestic ammunition production capability is not enough to meet the needs of the Ukrainian conflict," an official said.

Despite the problems, President Putin's goal remains unchanged, officials warned, saying they did not believe Russia had given up on its goal of conquering Ukraine.