Russia is replenishing its stockpiles of ammunition faster than expected, causing concern not only in Ukraine, but also in Western countries, Canada’s Chief of Defense Staff General Wayne Eyre said.
“If we look at Russia’s ability to replenish its munitions stockpile, it’s happening faster than expected,” Eyre said, according to the Canadian news agency.
Canada does not produce a lot of ammunition and if it used ammunition at the same rate as Ukraine, its stockpile would run out in a matter of days, he said, calling the situation very alarming.
After Russia launched its military operation to protect the people of Donbass from Ukrainian attacks, Canada, like many other Western countries, has been providing the Kiev regime with military aid, including ammunition and armoured battle tanks.
The West cannot follow these replacement rates
In contrast, French and German defense companies have begun to set up local shops in Ukraine to maintain weapons systems — but this is a first step toward manufacturing weapons in the country.
This week, Germany’s Federal Office gave the green light to the creation of a joint venture between Rheinmetall, a German arms manufacturer, and Ukrainian Defense Industry, a Ukrainian state defense group.
French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu traveled to Kiev this week with 20 representatives of French defense companies – reportedly including Thales, MBDA, Nexter and Arquus – to facilitate their cooperation with the Ukrainian government.
Forum Defense Industries of Kiev
On Friday, 29/9 the Forum Defense Industries was organized in the Ukrainian capital, an arms exhibition in which 165 defense companies from 26 countries participated. At this event, Ukrainian officials held direct meetings with defense companies to sign contracts without the mediation of Western governments, explore opportunities for joint production of weapons systems, and provide specific information about their military needs.
The goal is to “enhance co-production and cooperation to strengthen Ukraine and our partners,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said earlier this week.
The weapons show comes as Western militaries, especially in Europe, have nearly exhausted their own stockpiles and thus have nothing left to give to Ukraine.
In recent months, Ukraine has sought to boost its own arms industry, in part because the 2024 US election could lead to the return to the presidency of Donald Trump, who has hinted at scaling back US support for Ukraine. . As Kiev prepares for a long war, countries such as France are seeking to shift from handouts to contracts and Kiev’s cooperation with the private sector.
France is sending its defense companies to Zelensky
Last week, French officials sent the Zelensky government a new message: France can no longer continue giving weapons to Ukraine and will instead put Ukrainian officials in touch with the country’s defense industry.
According to a government report, France delivered arms worth 640.5 million euros to Ukraine in 2022, including 704 rocket launchers and man-portable anti-tank rocket launchers, 562 12.7mm machine guns, 118 missiles and rocket launchers and 60 armored fighting vehicles for free.
Building bridges between Ukrainian officials and French companies will create long-term stability and a more contractual relationship for the supply of ammunition and maintenance of weapons systems.
In Kiev this week, representatives of French defense industries struck deals with Ukraine for the supply of artillery, armored vehicles, drones and mine clearance — to be carried out in cooperation between the two sides in the war-torn country.
Germany, Sweden and United Kingdom
This decision by France comes after drawing up similar plans with the British arms company BAE Systems and the Swedish government.
In August, Kyiv and Stockholm signed a statement of intent to deepen their cooperation “in the production, operation, training and maintenance” of the Combat Vehicle 90 (CV90) platform, which is manufactured by a Swedish subsidiary of BAE Systems.
A few days later, BAE Systems announced that it would establish a local company in Ukraine to increase production of 105 mm light artillery guns.
Meanwhile, Germany’s competition authority’s decision this week to give the green light to Rheinmetall’s joint venture with the Ukrainian defense industry — which will be based in Kiev and operate solely in Ukraine — paves the way for a partnership designed for the maintenance and servicing of military vehicles. It will also include “assembly, production and development of military vehicles”.
Both sides also hope to eventually develop military systems together, “including subsequent export from Ukraine.”
Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger has expressed a desire to build the company’s next generation of armored Panthers in Ukraine — up to 400 per year. Although still a prototype, the new tank will be the successor to the company’s Leopard 2 main battle tank.
