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flutherother's avatar

Does Russia have an endless supply of bombs and missiles?

Asked by flutherother (34864points) May 29th, 2022

I imagine if you visited the Russian Tundra and peeled back a layer of turf you would find row upon row of smooth grey shells stretching out to the horizon waiting to be sent to the front line.

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15 Answers

gorillapaws's avatar

I think they’ve got a near-endless supply of conventional ammunition from the Soviet days—things like shells for artillery/tanks/mortars and bullets. I don’t think these are difficult to manufacture either. Precision guided rockets, missiles and stuff are a different story. I’ve read articles that these are quickly being exhausted and are not able to be replenished due to sanctions.

I have no idea how accurate that is, but it seems like a plausible analysis.

elbanditoroso's avatar

@gorillapaws is probably correct about the storage of these older armaments.

But I wonder how many of them are kep operational and ready for use.

gorillapaws's avatar

@elbanditoroso They’ve got thousands of tanks rusting away in large storage facilities. I’m sure many of these aren’t operational, and certainly not reliable. As for “dumb” ammunition like shells and bullets, I’m not aware of them expiring if stored properly? I could be wrong.

elbanditoroso's avatar

If I remember correctly, TNT degrades and becomes unstable over time.

Also shells and bullets – if not protected from humidity – can rust.

Blackwater_Park's avatar

They’re already dipping into the Soviet-era stash. They have always inflated what they had, even during the cold war. I feel sorry for the young kids they’re sending to the meat grinder knowing most will be killed. The Russian gov’t is one of, if not the most corrupt in the whole world. Actually, calling it a Gov’t is being too generous. It’s the what happens in a power vacuum after a corrupt gov’t collapses.

kritiper's avatar

No. And a good deal of the ones they have are duds.

JLoon's avatar

No. No army has inexhaustable supplies of bombs, missles, or anything else.

No doubt the Russians still have lots of miscellaneous 50 year old munitions left over from the cold war. But some of it has degraded in storage, and a lot of it won’t fit with more modern artillery and aricraft systems.

An even bigger problem for Putin is that his army’s logistics have always been weak, and have got worse after 3 months in Ukraine. Supplies are no good unless they can reach frontline troops when needed. Nothing gets done without trucks, or drivers who haven’t been killed or wounded :
https://www.newsweek.com/russian-army-vehicle-laden-ammo-explodes-following-ukrainian-strike-1709718

According to western intelligence the Russians have lost over 800 transport trucks and 3000 other vehicles. More than one third of their capability.

Dutchess_III's avatar

Not just duds @kritiper. Liable to explode when fired.

WhyNow's avatar

Probably not… but Russia and the old Soviet Union
have an endless endless supply of misery. Yes!
Like the evil socialists and communists they are!

kritiper's avatar

@Dutchess_III Just as good. And I meant dumb bombs too.

Zaku's avatar

They do have an endless supply of bombs and missiles (at least the lower-end ones) if you count their ability to make more to replace what they use, and if you mean at the rate only those supplies are used currently in Ukraine.

There are many other things that are not endless, however, such as will to keep suffering losses for nothing, willingness to keep being sanctioned, ability to spin a positive story about it for their public, their more sophisticated equipment, etc.

elbanditoroso's avatar

To be fair, the US also has one heck of a stockpile of armaments and missiles and other goodies. Have you ever driven by Anniston AL? Huge Army base with all sorts of goodies piled up in warehouses. Same with Tobyhanna, PA, Hawthorne Nevada, and a half dozen more military depots. TO say nothing of the ordinary stuff that’s in short-term storage at all the military bases around the world.

And don’t forget the Air Force, Marines, and Navy, who each have their own storage facilities.

One can only hope that the US Military’s stored armaments and ammunition are in better shape than the Russian stockpiles.

WhyNow's avatar

Well… the Russians are being fair… so should we!

JLeslie's avatar

Nothing is endless, but I think they enough to last a very long time.

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