Russia Faces Shortage of Advanced Weapon Stockpiles but 'Prolonged War' Remains Possible... Why?

Russia Struggles with Precision Parts Shortage Amid Western Sanctions
Extracting Semiconductors from Refrigerators and Dishwashers for Military Equipment...
"Still Capable of Sustaining War with Conventional Weapons"

In Kharkiv Oblast in northeastern Ukraine on the 11th (local time), a Russian BMD-4 armored vehicle fired a Kornet anti-tank missile. Fierce fighting between the two countries has been ongoing for nearly three months near the Russian border in Kharkiv. [Captured from a video provided by the Russian Ministry of Defense Public Relations Office. Sale prohibited] [Image source=Yonhap News Agency]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] Reports have emerged that Russia is substituting advanced weapons with conventional arms on the Ukrainian battlefield due to shortages caused by international sanctions.

On the 12th (local time), according to the U.S. foreign affairs media Foreign Policy (FP), the U.S. and U.K. governments analyzed that after exhausting a significant number of precision-guided munitions initially possessed during the early stages of the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has reduced their use and increased reliance on aging military supplies due to difficulties in procurement caused by international sanctions.

There have also been recent reports that the Russian military is extracting semiconductors from household appliances for use in military equipment. On the same day, Gina Raimondo, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, stated at a Senate hearing, "We have received reports that Russian military equipment captured in Ukraine is filled with semiconductors taken from refrigerators and dishwashers," adding, "Since sanctions against Russia, U.S. exports of advanced products to Russia have decreased by nearly 70%."

Regarding this, a senior U.S. Department of Defense official explained, "Sanctions and export controls, especially concerning (general) parts and electronic components, have impacted the foundation of Russia's defense industry and its ability to mobilize precision-guided munitions," and added, "It is clear that Russia's defense industry capabilities have begun to be eroded."

However, there are forecasts that the war may prolong as Russia still possesses sufficient conventional weapons. A senior defense official from an Eastern European country warned FP, "Russia will face difficulties securing precision-guided missiles, advanced equipment, and weapon supplies," but also cautioned, "We should not underestimate their ability to continue the war with simpler weapons."

Meanwhile, the United States implemented comprehensive export controls against Russia immediately after the invasion of Ukraine at the end of February. The export restriction policy announced by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) at that time included semiconductors, computers, communications, information security equipment, lasers, and sensors as controlled items. The Foreign Direct Product Rule (FDPR), which prohibits exports of products made outside the U.S. if U.S. software or technology was used in the manufacturing process, was also applied.

The European Union (EU) also joined the economic sanctions against Russia. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, announced on her Twitter last February that five sanction measures had been agreed upon. She stated that sanctions would first target 70% of Russia’s financial market and major state-owned enterprises, and that Russia’s access to critical core technologies such as semiconductors and cutting-edge software would be restricted.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.