Vladimir Putin is said to be running out of missiles, tanks and aircraft because the parts he relies on are made in Ukraine. The engines of Russian military helicopters and key components for warships, cruise missiles and most of the country’s fighter jets are all made in Ukrainian factories, the Telegraph reports. The factories, which also make spare parts for tanks and surface-to-air missiles, are no longer supplying Mr Putin’s army. Earlier this week, Moscow said it would reduce military activity near the Ukrainian capital and the northern city of Chernihiv. Russia has said the withdrawal will help boost confidence in peace talks, but the allegations have been met with skepticism. Ukraine and its allies have warned that the Kremlin is not de-escalating to boost confidence, but instead plans to reorganize and relocate as it shifts its focus to Ukraine’s Donbas region. There are also fears that the new attack will target the already heavy-handed attack on the port of Mariupol, which could be used by Mr Putin to bring new weapons to the country. However, sources told the Telegraph that the current level of Russian military supplies was “quite bad”, following Mr Putin’s failure to occupy Ukraine as quickly as he had expected. Russia has said it is withdrawing from Kyiv, but there are fears it could only launch a new offensive in the Donbas region. (Image: Reuters) The army is also believed to be running out of weapons after five weeks of continuous bombing of Ukrainian cities. As Russian troops have withdrawn from Kyiv, they have left behind dozens of abandoned tanks. The T-72 tank is one of the main armored vehicles of the Russian army, but its spare parts are considered to be made in Izyum, a city in eastern Ukraine that Mr. Putin’s forces failed to capture. Throughout the conflict, there were reports of Ukrainians capturing Russian tanks or removing drone armored vehicles. Open source estimates suggest that Russia has lost at least 2,000 tanks and armored vehicles, although true figures are suspected to be higher. Burnt Russian armored vehicles on the outskirts of Kiev, April 1 – Russia believed to have lost thousands of tanks in the war (Image: Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP) A Ukrainian soldier stands next to a burned Russian tank outside the village of Mala Rogan, east of Kharkiv. (Image: Sergey Bobok / AFP) It is also believed that Russia will not be able to re-supply Kh-55 cruise missiles, which are launched from the air and have the capability to carry nuclear warheads, because they also rely on imported components. The Kh-55 is used by Russia, China and Iran and uses an engine built in Kharkov, senior defense sources told the Telegraph. Western sanctions on Russia mean Putin’s also unable to buy weapons from France, which has been supplying millions of pounds worth of equipment to Russia since the 2014 invasion of Crimea. While reports indicate that Russia is running out of weapons, Ukraine’s resources are being bolstered by its allies. To date, the United Kingdom has supplied nearly 4,000 next-generation anti-tank weapons (NLAWs) and Javelin anti-tank systems, as well as anti-aircraft missiles. It is also reported that the British Starstreak missile was used by Ukrainian forces to shoot down a Russian helicopter. The Starstreak is an advanced high-speed missile that destroys targets using three laser-guided darts and was supplied to Ukraine from Britain in March. The Ministry of Defense declined to comment on the reports. Contact our news team by emailing us at [email protected] For more stories like this, check out our news page.
