Unlike a self-sufficient Russia, Ukraine, while also trying to develop its military-industrial complex and is supported by Western military-industrial giants, is still largely dependent on Western aid, both military and economic. According to the Weekly Mirror, the Estonian Ministry of Defense said that while Western-made artillery shells with a caliber of 155 mm have an advantage over Russian 152 mm shells in terms of range and accuracy, Ukraine needs at least 200,000 shells per month if it wants to maintain local firepower superiority. Obviously, neither Ukraine, nor the United States, nor Europe, will be able to meet this demand. Currently, Ukraine is vigorously producing UAVs of all types.
According to the "Ukrainian Front", the Minister of Strategic Industries of Ukraine Kamyshin declared that in December last year alone, Ukraine planned to manufacture more than 50,000 FPV drones, and next year, Ukraine plans to produce more than 1 million FPV drones and more than 110,000 medium and long-range suicide drones. It is reported that all production facilities are ready, and contracts will begin to be signed in 2024. Ukraine is making every effort to encourage its own and foreign companies to enter the industry, as the Ukrainian army consumes tens of thousands of FPV drones every month, and there is also a huge demand for medium- and long-range suicide drones.
These suicide drones, which have a range of hundreds or even thousands of kilometers, can be used not only to strike military targets in the deep regions of Russia, but also to targets in the rear of the Russian army, and even simply to consume the anti-aircraft missiles of the Russian army. It is worth mentioning that Ukraine has already mass-produced a suicide drone called "Cobra". Despite its maximum speed of only 150 km/h, it has a maximum range of more than 300 km and carries explosives weighing 15 kg (some say 22 kg). However, the biggest advantage is that it is inexpensive and simple to build: the unit price is only $2,000 per plane, and it only takes 3 hours for skilled workers to build one. In addition, Japan and Switzerland are also notable in terms of foreign military assistance.
According to the Washington Post, Japan** is likely to follow South Korea's lead and make a major shift in export rules to provide parts to the United States"Patriots"anti-aircraft missiles so that the US military can transfer its own stockpile of ammunition to Ukraine. An American *** said,"Japan is undergoing some profound changes to demonstrate its strong commitment to the international order and security environment. Japan is doing so in lockstep with the United States as its closest ally, and Fumio Kishida is breaking with a bygone era. "South Korea has already supplied hundreds of thousands of artillery shells to Ukraine in a similar way. Japan has been producing under license"Patriots"Anti-aircraft missiles, including a PAC-3 interceptor missile worth $4 million. While Ukraine's air defense network is growing, ammunition reserves are not sufficient.
Once the Russian army launched a dense"Long-range precision strikes", Ukrainian anti-aircraft ammunition, in particular, which can intercept ballistic and hypersonic missiles"Patriots"Interceptor missiles of air defense systems, most likely, will be quickly exhausted. According to Swissinfo, the two chambers of the Swiss Federal Parliament have agreed to ease previous export restrictions in certain circumstances. Although the report does not explicitly indicate whether Switzerland will be allowed to supply Ukraine with **, some analysts believe that this will likely mean that Switzerland will allow relevant countries to provide Ukraine with Swiss-made **ammunition in their possession or with Swiss technology and components**, in particular"Cheetah"35 mm caliber shells that were urgently needed for self-propelled anti-aircraft guns. Both Russia and Ukraine are increasing their troops, increasing **.
Now the Russian army has an advantage in size and the number of ** equipment, but how long will these advantages last?Is the size of the force more important, or is the number and performance more important?This is a question worth pondering. Many changes are quietly taking place around the world, and Moscow, Kyiv, Washington, London, and Berlin are all convinced that the side they support will win the war. These changes may not be visible, but they are quietly shaping the future. Each city is fighting for what it believes and what it believes in, trying to ensure that its voice is ultimately victorious in this historic challenge.