The situation with equipment in the Russian military is not as rosy as the Kremlin says, but it falls far short of the expectations of Ukraine and Western partners, according to Welt.
Since the beginning of the war, according to the publication, Russia has lost about 2,900 tanks, 5,500 armoured personnel carriers, and similar vehicles. About 90 per cent of the combat tanks that were in Russia as of February 2022 have been destroyed.
Tank production
Welt notes that the Russian defence industry complex has supplied the Russian military with 1,600 tanks. These are refurbished vehicles that were in storage.
"The number of new tanks being produced is estimated at 200 per year," Welt states.
Currently, Russia is using T-62 and T-55 tanks, in poorly modernized versions. But they may last for 2-3 years.
"The longer Russia uses Soviet stocks, the worse the condition of the tanks remaining in storage becomes. These stocks may last for at least another two to three years of war if the level of losses remains unchanged," The Welt reports.
Missile situation
Russia can steadily increase the production of missiles and cruise missiles, despite sanctions. Some require 40 to 50 Western components, which Russia obtains through grey imports.
Western experts estimate that Russia produces up to 130 missiles and cruise missiles with a range of at least 350 kilometres per month, as well as about 100 shorter-range missiles.
Missiles such as the Kinzhal, and Iskander, or cruise missiles like the Kh-101 or Kalibr are often delayed for weeks until a critical mass is reached.
Drone situation
According to the Washington Post last year, Russia wants to produce 6,000 Shahed drones domestically by the summer of 2025. It is expected that over 11,000 such drones will be manufactured this year.
According to the Welt, there is enough reason to doubt Russian reports of success. However, according to the Main Intelligence Directorate, Russia has increased domestic production from several dozen to 200 per month.
Aid to Ukraine in the war with Russia
Earlier, we wrote that UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed increasing supplies of ammunition and air defence systems to Ukraine.
By the way, the US Senate expects Congress to approve funding for aid to Ukraine in the next few weeks.