Russia's Military Might Sustained by Soviet-Era Stockpiles into 2024
The Russian Federation has enough weapons stockpiled to keep up its current level of military activity in 2024, as reported by the Unian agency, citing the Jamestown Foundation, an American analytical institution. The report's author, Pavel Luzin, notes that the primary source of these weapons is Soviet-era equipment warehouses.
"These storage bases are vast," we learn. However, Russia is facing challenges in replenishing these supplies, which means the aggressor army could struggle to maintain its military power if Ukraine "continues to fight fiercely." This does not imply that Russia's stocks are depleted at this moment. Quite the opposite, in fact.
The analysis suggests that the Russian Federation is capable of sustaining combat at its current rate throughout 2024, thanks to the reserves in its warehouses. From 2025 onwards, "Russia will find it problematic to carry out offensive operations," the report states. What are the specifics of the Jamestown Foundation's analysis on supplies?
What is left of Russia's military equipment?
Pavel Luzin provided exact figures for the remaining Russian equipment in stock, focusing on the key categories of vehicles. The analytical firm's data shows that Russia still has 4000 tanks, 100 BRDM-2 units, 2800 BMP-1 and BMP-2 units, 1000 MTLB vehicles, and 1300 BTR-60/70 units in reserve.
Moreover, there's a significant number of self-propelled and towed artillery. Among these, 1800 2S1 Gvozdika units, 750 units each of 2S3 Acacia and 2S5 Giatsint, 350 Nona-S units, as well as 2400 towed D-30, 700 D-20, and 550 Giatsint-B units are particularly noteworthy. The publication also mentions 1500 BM-21 Grad launchers at the disposal of the Russian military.
While the analysis does not detail which tank models are most prevalent in Russia, data from 2021 and 2022 suggest that T-72 and T-80 tanks, equipped with a 2A46M 125 mm gun, are likely the most abundant, posing a significant threat to the tanks deployed by the defenders. It's important to highlight the extensive range of artillery systems in Russia's arsenal, as artillery can strike targets from farther away than tanks can, proving invaluable for repelling attacks and supporting offensive operations.
The most common artillery piece in Russian depots is the 2S1 Gvozdika, dating back to the 1970s. Over 10,000 units were produced, mostly ending up with Russian and Ukrainian forces. This weapon, weighing nearly 16 tons, fires 122 mm shells weighing about 22 kg. They can reach distances of up to 23 km using a gas generator.
The equally numerous 2S3 Acacia and 2S5 Giatsint, which are gun-mortars from the last century, also stand out. Acacia is fitted with a 152 mm D-20 howitzer, launching fragmentation-explosive shells (weighing about 43 kg) to a distance of approximately 20 km. Giatsint uses the same type of shells but has a distinct appearance compared to the slightly older Acacia.
