MOSCOW (dpa-AFX) - Interest in Russian armaments abroad has reached record levels, according to reports from Moscow. "Until 2022, the maximum order value stood at $55 billion. Today, with $70 billion in already signed contracts, we have set a new record," said Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov during a meeting with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin. Manturov attributed this to the war against Ukraine ordered by Putin in 2022. "The technology proven during the special military operation advertises itself," he said. Russian officials refer to the war as a special military operation.
Russian air defense systems, aircraft, and multiple rocket launchers are particularly in demand, Manturov stated. However, the surge in orders also has a downside. As recently as December, Manturov admitted that export orders would have to take a back seat to the Russian army's demand for new weapons, meaning they would only be fulfilled with delays.
Russian war propagandists, such as Margarita Simonyan, head of the state media holding RT, had originally predicted a Russian victory in the war against Ukraine within a very short period. The conflict, however, has now lasted longer than the Soviet Union's defensive struggle against Hitler's Germany in World War II. Moscow now explains the length of the confrontation by claiming that Russia is fighting the entire West in Ukraine. In reality, NATO has not sent soldiers to Ukraine. However, the West is assisting the embattled country with weapons for its defense./bal/DP/men
