Putin glorifies ‘superior’ Russian weapons in bid to sell them despite failures in Ukraine

Putin says Russia 'ready to offer' allies 'modern types of weapons'

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

The comments were made on Monday when Vladimir Putin gave a speech at the International Military-Technical Forum outside Moscow. The President praised Russia’s close relations with Latin America, Asia and Africa and noted his openness to supply such allies with a range of Russian weapons.

The breadth of the weaponry on offer from Russia ranges from small arms to armoured vehicles, artillery, combat aircraft and drones.

Putin said: “Almost all of them have been used more than once in real combat operations.”

He added: “Many of them are years, or maybe decades ahead of their foreign counterparts, and in terms of tactical and technical characteristics they are significantly superior to them.”

He continued: “[Russia] is ready to offer its allies and partners the most modern types of weapons…

“In addition, we intend to actively develop the cooperative ties to create new models of weapons and equipment to work together on fair and equal terms.”

Christopher Steele, director of apolitical corporate intelligence firm Orbis Business Intelligence, posted a tweet mocking President Putin’s claims about Russian weaponry.

The Intelligence director tweeted: “Meanwhile on Planet Putin the Russian ‘president’, or maybe his double, has been out promoting undiscerning Russian arms sales to the outside world, lauding their ‘significant superiority’.

“Are these the same weapons now reliant on western washing machine components? Extraordinary.”

Numerous military experts in the West have added to Mr Steele’s comments saying that Russia’s performance in Ukraine will undermine his speech.

Fed-up Russian troops have revealed the low quality of the weapons they have been given with some claiming their guns have come from the 1940s.

Near the beginning of the war, young conscripts sent to Ukraine without full knowledge were featured in a video slamming their leaders for “throwing [them] into the sh*t”.

The video was shared on Twitter and Telegram by pro-Ukraine outlets of the troops of the 199th Division 4th Battalion, 1st and 2nd Companies who said: “Our rifles are from the 1940s. They don’t f***ing fire!”

Reports also emerged of shot down planes from accidental friendly fire, inaccurate attacks and troops even destroying their own equipment.

DON’T MISS: 
Royal Family LIVE: ‘Desperate’ Harry and Meghan spark fierce backlash  (LIVE)
‘Johnson nostalgia’ Poll reveals Tories want Boris Johnson back (INSIGHT)
Liz Truss is this summer’s HOT political ticket for a BBQ – new poll (POLL)

By the end of June, the fourth month of the conflict, Russia allegedly lost almost 800 tanks meaning it was left to use retired T-62 tanks from the 1960s.

According to assessments by US defence officials on the capabilities of Russian weapons in Ukraine, Russia has failure rates as high as 60 percent for some of its precision-guided missiles.

Ruth Deyermond, a senior lecturer at the Department of War Studies at King’s College London said: “With the collapse of economic relations with the West, Russia is even more dependent on the arms trade than it was before, so it’s not surprising that Putin is so keen to promote them to as many non-Western customers as he can.

“The big problem for him is that Russia’s war against Ukraine has been a disaster for Russian military credibility – their performance has been a very poor advertisement for their weapons.”

Source: Read Full Article