Russian Deputy Defense Minister Aleksandr Fomin has said that Russia’s friends can benefit from its experience in dealing with Western weapons used in the Ukraine conflict. In a speech at the Xiangshan security forum in Beijing on Friday, he stated that despite their advertised capabilities, these weapons have been seen to burn on the battlefield and are not repairable.
Fomin went on to say that Russia has acquired valuable know-how in defeating various Western weapon systems and using modern tactics. He added that they are willing to share this experience with their partners. The Ukraine conflict has witnessed significant changes in modern warfare, particularly when it comes to drones, communications, and electronic countermeasures.
The role of tanks has been reevaluated due to the conflict, while counter-artillery operations have found a new dimension, Fomin explained. He emphasized that Russian weapons have proven their effectiveness in combat environments.
Western arms donors have provided increasingly sophisticated weapons to the Ukrainian military, such as F-16 fighter jets last month. High expectations were placed on Kiev’s “counteroffensive” last year when Western countries supplied dozens of main battle tanks. However, this operation failed to result in any significant territorial gains due to strong Russian defensive lines.
Ukraine accused the West of providing insufficient aid for their lackluster results in the conflict. Russia considers the Ukraine conflict to be a US-led proxy war against Russia and has organized an exhibition of captured NATO military hardware. The Russian Defense Ministry regularly highlights successful strikes against Western armaments in the context of the Ukraine conflict.
Open-source analytical center Oryx estimates that Kiev has lost at least 14 M1A1 Abrams tanks, 103 M2A2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, 141 M113 armored personnel carriers, 97 M777A2 howitzers, and hundreds of other heavy weaponry.