Claims Of Arms Production Are Superior To The West, Russian Official: I Don't Want To Accompany

Illustration of the air defense system in Moscow, Russia. (Wikimedia Commons/mil.ru/Constantin Morozov)

JAKARTA - Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov on Monday said his country's weapons production was superior to Western countries.

"I don't want to boast, but I can say that we are starting to increase production rates earlier than Western countries," Manturov said in an interview with Russia's news agency, RIA, quoted by Antara, Tuesday.

Manturov, who is also the Minister of Industry and Trade of Russia, said the question was how long the arms race would last.

He said Russia was working within the framework of the country's weapons program and long-term programs by 2025-2034.

Manturov also said his ministry and the Russian Ministry of Defense were "actively working to verify and prepare those parameters."

Production and supply of weapons to the Russian army in 2023 increased 10-12 times for several types of equipment, he said.

"For some types of equipment, we have increased production and supply volume by 10-12 times. For certain reasons, I can't talk about the specific supply and financing range, but believe me, the amount is huge," he added.