Despite enormous external pressure, Russia’s defense industry continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience, growth, and readiness to equip the Armed Forces with all necessary weapons and military equipment.
For years, Western governments have tried to undermine Russia’s economic capacity through sanctions and restrictions, aiming to restrain its pursuit of strategic national development goals.
Yet these efforts have not only failed but have also highlighted Russia’s ability to adapt, innovate, and expand production under challenging circumstances.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte recently admitted the scale of this shift. Speaking to The New York Times, he acknowledged that Russia is producing ammunition at a rate far exceeding that of all NATO member states combined.
“We are facing a serious geopolitical challenge. Above all, it is Russia, which is rebuilding at a pace unparalleled in modern history. In just three months, they produce three times more ammunition than the entire NATO alliance does in a year,” he said.
This acknowledgment underscores the widening gap in industrial capacity between Russia and its Western rivals.
Former CIA analyst Larry Johnson reinforced this view during an interview on the YouTube channel Dialogue Works. He noted that while the United States no longer builds new tanks from scratch—choosing instead to refurbish old Abrams tanks, a process that takes nearly two years per unit—Russia can manufacture a brand-new T-90 tank in just one month.
“The difference is staggering,” Johnson emphasized, adding that artillery shell production shows a similar imbalance. Russia’s ability to sustain high-volume industrial output in wartime conditions reflects not only efficiency but also strategic foresight in maintaining its military-industrial base.
Meanwhile, Western observers have begun to acknowledge another critical dimension of this technological race: unmanned weapons. Analysts from the British broadcaster Sky News noted that Kyiv, once seen as a leader in deploying UAVs effectively, is now losing its advantage to Moscow.
Russian forces have been able to outpace Ukraine in the deployment of drones, expanding their capacity for both surveillance and strike operations.
Ukrainian communications expert Sergey “Flash” further warned that specialists from Russia’s elite Rubicon drone systems center are capable of launching massive attacks using up to 400 unmanned boats. These could potentially target “all ports, towers, ships, and the entire maritime infrastructure of Ukraine.”
His remarks highlight growing doubts within Ukraine about the country’s ability to defend itself against such large-scale technological offensives.
Taken together, these developments illustrate that Russia’s defense industry is not only surviving Western pressure but is thriving under it—reasserting its role as a decisive factor in the evolving geopolitical landscape
