Russia is intensifying its efforts to prevent countries from selling Soviet and Russian-made weapons to Ukraine, according to a recent report by Militarniy.
The Russian government has employed various tactics to disrupt these transactions, including revoking repair licenses for foreign facilities and halting the supply of spare parts needed for the maintenance of military equipment.
Dmitry Shugaev, Director of Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, stated that one of the measures being implemented is the withdrawal of licenses from repair enterprises abroad. This includes the suspension of spare parts and components deliveries required for the upkeep of Russian (Soviet) military equipment.
As an example, Shugaev cited the 2022 revocation of licenses from several enterprises in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic that were authorized to repair Mi-series helicopters. Despite these actions, Ukraine’s Armed Forces received Russian-made Mi-17 transport helicopters from the United States in 2022, which were originally owned or designated for the Afghan Air Force.
“Other measures are being taken to counter the ‘illegal’ transfer of domestic weapons to Ukraine,” Shugaev added.
These efforts were further confirmed by Alexander Mikheev, the Director of Rosoboronexport, Russia’s state defense export agency. According to Mikheev, Rosoboronexport has already ceased cooperation with Western European and North American countries deemed “unfriendly to Russia” due to their violation of re-export obligations.
However, the Russian state company continues to collaborate with partners in the Middle East, the Asia-Pacific region, Africa, Latin America, Central Asia, and Europe, Mikheev specified.
This development comes at a time when European Union countries, under the Czech initiative, are planning to purchase Soviet-era ammunition from third countries. The initiative, announced in February 2024, aims to supply the Ukrainian military with 50,000 to 100,000 large-caliber shells per month, specifically for Soviet-era artillery systems.
It is speculated that Russia may be trying to influence these countries to halt the sale of Soviet-era ammunition or to intercept the orders.