As Moscow depletes its stocks to carry out its almost 10-month-old invasion of Ukraine, Russia is turning to decades-old ammunition with high failure rates, a senior U.S. military officer claimed on Monday.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, added that "they have pulled from (Russia's) aged munitions stockpile, which does indicate that they are willing to utilise that older ammunition, some of which was initially developed more than 40 years ago."
Russia is allegedly looking to Iran and North Korea for additional weaponry as it runs out of its usual ammo supplies, according to the United States.
According to the senior U.S. military official, if Russia did not turn to foreign suppliers and older supplies, it would exhaust its fully operational ammunition stockpiles by the beginning of 2023.
"In terms of what we would call totally functioning artillery and rocket ammunition, we estimate that Russia has been using its arsenal at a rate of fire. Probably into the beginning of 2023, "added the official. Risks came with using the older stocks, the official said.
In other words, you load the ammunition and cross your fingers, hoping it will shoot or that it would explode when it lands, according to the official.
U.S. and Ukrainian officials claim Iran sent drones to Russia for use in Ukraine. According to Britain's representative to the UN on Friday, Moscow is also attempting to buy hundreds of ballistic missiles from Iran and is providing Tehran with unprecedented levels of military and technological assistance in exchange.
According to Barbara Woodward, Britain is "almost convinced" that Russia is sourcing weapons from North Korea and other countries that have been subject to harsh sanctions since their own supplies are visibly depleting.
Iran acknowledged providing drones to Moscow last month, but claimed the deliveries were made before the Ukraine conflict. Russia has denied that its military attacked Ukraine with Iranian drones and that North Korea was supplying it with weaponry.
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