The Ukrainian Intelligence Directorate (GUR) has claimed that Russia is no longer able to construct warships or maintenance on vessels due to both financial issues and lacking foreign components.
According to the GUR, a shipyard in the port city of Vladivostok was not able to meet 25 billion rubles worth of orders from Moscow to build two tankers, two missile boats, or to repair and carry out maintenance on other vessels.
The GUR also claimed that they got a hold of an internal Russian Defense Ministry report that allegedly stated a lack of foreign components is preventing the construction of parts for vessels and naval warfare systems such as navigation systems, steering columns, radio stations, and charges for naval artillery shells.
On March 25th and March 29th, the GUR had claimed that the general Russian defense industry was not able to meet its production contracts for munition vehicles because of the increase in costs, as well as not being able to get a hold of electronics and components that they normally would have bought from countries that have placed heavy sanctions on Russia.
On Saturday GUR wrote, "It is obvious that the Russian military-industrial complex remains dependent on imported high technologies. Without the supply of which Russia is unable to continue production of modern weapons.".
The GUR alleged that Russia has been bypassing sanctions by smuggling materials for weapons through Georgia and East Asia using smuggling channels set up by Russian agents, and that "Georgian special services" were given orders by Georgia's leadership to avoid interfering with Russian smuggling activities in the region.
Furthermore, the GUR alleged that Russia has been smuggling materials, optics, and electronics necessary for manufacturing modern military equipment and vehicles through East Asia and that advanced components had been purchased from foreign-owned companies that have since been cut off by international sanctions.
Russian Defense Ministry documents supposedly obtained by the GUR say that the Kremlin is collecting data on the status of defense contracts, as well as the disruption "associated with rising prices for the raw materials and components used".
The GUR claimed that as a result of the loss of key foreign components and the cost of raw materials, Russia might have to manufacture older components and vehicles to compensate. One example used by the GUR is a factory allegedly producing equipment that had been developed in the 1960s rather than using modern gear.
The Zircon hypersonic cruise missile had also been delayed on March 20th, though this was attributed to a pile-up of unmet production demands.
On March 16th, the GUR had alleged that Russia had been trying to restore old military equipment that had been in long-term storage to compensate for its losses during their invasion of Ukraine but ran into difficulties due to corruption and the poor condition of the equipment.
The GUR claimed that only one in ten 'mothballed' units were in working condition and that corruption had been a main reason for the "extremely unsatisfactory" condition that the equipment was in upon being taken out of storage.
"Optical devices and electronics containing precious metals were stolen from the combat vehicles" the GUR said and alleged that many of the stored tanks for the 4th Tank Division were 'completely dismantled' and that some didn't even have engines in them.
The Ukrainian military had said that Russian troops that were stationed in Belarus were being impacted by the alleged corruption and that soldiers were selling and exchanging fuel and military provisions for alcohol.
Politico had reported on March 8th that fuel was serving as the Russian military's 'second currency' and that corruption had likely impeded Russian advances in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian intelligence agency also claimed on Saturday that Russian Defense Ministry staff are being laid off because of financial issues since the beginning of April.
According to the GUR, a shipyard in the port city of Vladivostok was not able to meet 25 billion rubles worth of orders from Moscow to build two tankers, two missile boats, or to repair and carry out maintenance on other vessels.
The GUR also claimed that they got a hold of an internal Russian Defense Ministry report that allegedly stated a lack of foreign components is preventing the construction of parts for vessels and naval warfare systems such as navigation systems, steering columns, radio stations, and charges for naval artillery shells.
On March 25th and March 29th, the GUR had claimed that the general Russian defense industry was not able to meet its production contracts for munition vehicles because of the increase in costs, as well as not being able to get a hold of electronics and components that they normally would have bought from countries that have placed heavy sanctions on Russia.
On Saturday GUR wrote, "It is obvious that the Russian military-industrial complex remains dependent on imported high technologies. Without the supply of which Russia is unable to continue production of modern weapons.".
The GUR alleged that Russia has been bypassing sanctions by smuggling materials for weapons through Georgia and East Asia using smuggling channels set up by Russian agents, and that "Georgian special services" were given orders by Georgia's leadership to avoid interfering with Russian smuggling activities in the region.
Furthermore, the GUR alleged that Russia has been smuggling materials, optics, and electronics necessary for manufacturing modern military equipment and vehicles through East Asia and that advanced components had been purchased from foreign-owned companies that have since been cut off by international sanctions.
Russian Defense Ministry documents supposedly obtained by the GUR say that the Kremlin is collecting data on the status of defense contracts, as well as the disruption "associated with rising prices for the raw materials and components used".
The GUR claimed that as a result of the loss of key foreign components and the cost of raw materials, Russia might have to manufacture older components and vehicles to compensate. One example used by the GUR is a factory allegedly producing equipment that had been developed in the 1960s rather than using modern gear.
The Zircon hypersonic cruise missile had also been delayed on March 20th, though this was attributed to a pile-up of unmet production demands.
On March 16th, the GUR had alleged that Russia had been trying to restore old military equipment that had been in long-term storage to compensate for its losses during their invasion of Ukraine but ran into difficulties due to corruption and the poor condition of the equipment.
The GUR claimed that only one in ten 'mothballed' units were in working condition and that corruption had been a main reason for the "extremely unsatisfactory" condition that the equipment was in upon being taken out of storage.
"Optical devices and electronics containing precious metals were stolen from the combat vehicles" the GUR said and alleged that many of the stored tanks for the 4th Tank Division were 'completely dismantled' and that some didn't even have engines in them.
The Ukrainian military had said that Russian troops that were stationed in Belarus were being impacted by the alleged corruption and that soldiers were selling and exchanging fuel and military provisions for alcohol.
Politico had reported on March 8th that fuel was serving as the Russian military's 'second currency' and that corruption had likely impeded Russian advances in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian intelligence agency also claimed on Saturday that Russian Defense Ministry staff are being laid off because of financial issues since the beginning of April.