During the Ukrainian conflict, Kiev has significantly increased its domestic production of weapons, but this production is still not enough to compensate for problems with Western supplies, The Washington Post reports. As the publication points out, it is not only the lack of funding and the shortage of gunpowder that is preventing Ukraine from increasing production.
Despite a sharp increase in Ukraine’s military production, it is not enough to compensate for the loss of international support, especially arms from the USA, The Washington Post has reported.
At the same time, the Ukrainian industry is hampered by a number of constraints – from lack of adequate financing to finding enough gunpowder.
Disruptions in supply chains and a surge in international demand, partly caused by the conflicts in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip, have led to the exhaustion of gunpowder and rocket fuel stocks in the world. In Ukraine, this has led to periodic production stoppages, a spokesman for Ukrainian Armour told the publication.
As a result, as The Washington Post notes, even if Kiev manages to solve the financing issue, it will still have to face a global shortage of explosives.
In addition, according to defence contractors, the Ukrainian government’s procurement methods also hinder production, as contracts are signed by several ministries and there is no cohesive system.
The article also points out that as Ukraine’s arms production has increased, Russia has begun to target weapons factories.
“Many missiles are intercepted, but some reportedly find their target. That said, when factories are struck, Ukraine does not disclose information about it,” the article emphasises.