Russia Has a Weapons Deficit, Says Zelensky

Any potential ceasefire on the battlefield would only benefit Russia. This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a press conference in Tallinn.

“A pause on the battlefield in Ukraine does not equate to a ceasefire; it does not indicate that hostilities are over. This does not lead to political dialogue with the Russian Federation or anyone else. That pause will only aid the Russian Federation,” he asserted.

In this context, Zelensky drew attention to the arms production capabilities in Russia. “Because we understand the volumes of what they are producing today. We know how many drones and artillery they are manufacturing daily. We observe what they are lacking. They have a significant deficit in drones, artillery, and missiles. They are negotiating about missiles. So far, they haven’t reached an agreement. Additionally, they have received more than one million artillery shells from North Korea. Why are they doing this? Because they cannot keep up,” he explained.

For this reason, he remarked, a ceasefire is simply a frozen conflict. “The world also cannot fill Ukraine's stockpiles quickly enough. But the world is helping Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia is facing a deficit. We see how this deficit is affecting their sustainability on the battlefield. Should we pause? Should we take the risk? Should we give the Russian Federation two to three years? They could then surpass us,” added the President of Ukraine.