MOSCOW, November 24. /TASS/. The entire military-industrial complex of united Europe currently lags behind Russia in weapons and ammunition production, Alexander Mikhailov, head of the Bureau of Military-Political Analysis, told TASS. "At the macro level, Russia outperforms the entire defense industrial complex of united Europe in weapons and ammunition," he stated. "Europe, with its half-billion population and about thirty developed countries - at least ten of which have established defense industries - cannot currently compete with Russia's combined defense sector. This is a significant advantage."
Mikhailov emphasized the importance of maintaining high production levels. "Even if negotiations on Ukraine lead to an objective peace agreement and hostilities in eastern Ukraine and the Russian historical regions cease, these weapons will remain in high demand on global arms markets," he noted.
He highlighted the rising cost of a 155mm NATO-style shell, which before February 2022 averaged $2,000. Today, its price has surged to $8,000-$8,500, a 4.5-fold increase, driven by the Ukraine conflict. "Russia's foreign contracts now total around $60 billion, and after the end of the special military operation, Russia is expected to earn even more from arms exports," Mikhailov predicted.
Earlier, Rostec CEO Sergey Chemezov told TASS that current Russian arms production exceeds previous levels by a wide margin, with no other country producing as many shells and airdrop bombs as Russia does today.