Escalating Ukraine War... "Russia Cannot Produce Missiles as Fast as It Launches Them"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo Yujin] As the possibility of Russia using tactical nuclear weapons arises and the threat of the Ukraine war escalates, there is an assessment that Russia will not be able to produce missiles as fast as it launches them.

On the 16th (local time), the UK Ministry of Defence estimated via Twitter that Russia's defense industry probably does not have the capacity to produce advanced military supplies such as missiles at the rate they are being launched.

The UK Ministry of Defence estimated that Russia's stockpile of long-range missiles likely decreased due to retaliatory attacks following the Crimean Bridge explosion on the 10th, and predicted that this would limit their ability to carry out attacks on desired targets in terms of scale going forward.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched more than 80 cruise missiles at Ukraine in retaliation for the Crimean Bridge explosion. About half of these were intercepted, but around 10 missiles struck Kyiv and other population centers, causing over 120 civilian casualties and damaging infrastructure in the capital and elsewhere.

Four days after the attack, President Putin announced, "Attacks on missed targets will be carried out later," while stating that no additional large-scale attacks are currently planned.

International condemnation is intensifying over Russia's nuclear threat. On the 12th (local time), United Nations member states adopted a resolution condemning Russia's illegal annexation attempts of Ukrainian territory at an emergency special session held at the UN headquarters in New York, with 143 votes in favor, 5 against, and 35 abstentions.

This resolution received the most support among the four resolutions passed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in late February. Unlike Security Council resolutions, this resolution is not legally binding but is expected to further isolate Russia on the international stage and increase diplomatic pressure.

The United States also emphasized the need for a firm global response, including from China, regarding the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons. On the 16th, Jake Sullivan, US National Security Advisor, appeared on CNN and said, "All responsible countries worldwide, including China and India, must send a very clear and firm message to Russia that nuclear use must not be considered."

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