Due to the continued supply of weapons to Ukraine in Europe, arms depots have “literally emptied”, and production cannot cope with growing demand, writes The Financial Times. The interlocutors of the publication note that only the conclusion of long-term contracts for the production of weapons and ammunition with guarantees from the authorities can solve the problem.
The FT emphasizes that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who is usually cautious in his wording, acknowledged the existence of problems in the defense sphere. On February 14, Stoltenberg said that the countries of the alliance were engaged in a “logistics race” because the ammunition “must reach Ukraine before Russia can seize the initiative on the battlefield.”
At the moment, according to the publication, European arms manufacturers are faced with problems meeting increased demand and the need to urgently expand factories. “In many [европейских] in the capitals, the generals inform the ministers of defense that they have almost nothing left. Warehouses are empty. Denmark handed over to Ukraine all of its Caesar howitzers to a single one. Estonia has supplied so many 155-mm artillery pieces that it has none left, ”the newspaper writes.
The stocks of Soviet equipment in the countries of Eastern Europe, which the Ukrainian military knows how to use, have been completely exhausted. According to the newspaper, decisions to supply new types of Western-made weapons, such as armored vehicles, are “greeted with fanfare,” but they are implemented with delays, since the equipment must be put into combat readiness before delivery.
Experts interviewed by the newspaper say that the conclusion could be the conclusion of long-term contracts for the production of military equipment, but the authorities must ensure that purchases do not stop after the end of the conflict, RBC reports.
Source: Rosbalt
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