In a rare admission, Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country lacks modern weapons and equipment to win the war in Ukraine.
His statement was aired after confirming that Kyiv’s much-anticipated spring counteroffensive had already begun.
Although he claimed that his forces are successfully resisting the attacks, he conceded that Moscow needs to increase its supply of modern weapons if it wants to defeat the war-torn nation.
According to Russian state media outlet RT, Putin acknowledged that his troops are facing “shortages” of modern weapons and expressed hope that the country’s defense industry will soon be able to satisfy growing demand.
“We do not yet have enough modern arms, but the defense industry and the military-industrial complex are developing rapidly and, I am sure, all the challenges facing our defense industry will definitely be met,” he said.
“We are intensively building up production of modern weapons.”
The president did not specifically disclose the types of modern weapons he feels the Russian military is lacking.
Contrasting Statements
Putin’s admission appeared to contradict previous statements about Russia being “decades ahead” of rivals in its military capabilities.
He even boasted about the country being ready to sell “cutting-edge” arms, artillery systems, armored vehicles, and drones.
“We are talking about high-precision weapons and robotics, combat systems based on new physical principles,” he said at a military forum outside Moscow last year.
“Many of them are years, perhaps even decades ahead of their foreign counterparts, and significantly superior in terms of tactical and technical characteristics.”
Several reports have revealed that Russian troops are using outdated, Soviet-era equipment after allegedly losing two-thirds of their tanks in Ukraine.
The country has also reportedly deployed its T-14 Amata main battle tanks despite rumors that Russian soldiers were unwilling to use them because of their “poor” condition.
Running Out of Missiles
According to Newsweek, the rate of Russia’s missile attacks on Ukraine has increased in recent weeks, causing defense analysts to speculate that Putin could soon run out of missiles.
The country is also reportedly running low on other types of weapons, but it was “out of character” for Putin to admit it.
“They’re running short on main battle tanks and ballistic missiles,” Special Operations Forces Report managing editor Guy McCardle told the outlet.
“This is evidenced by the fact that they are using so many glider bombs today. They still have cruise missiles, but these, of course, are very expensive, and they just can’t be firing them off at will.”
The country has been struggling to resupply its troops with weapons due to heavy sanctions imposed by the global community.
