Russian military production faces systemic technological vulnerabilities

An analysis of the Russian Federation’s military production capacity suggests that while the transition to a war-oriented economy has increased the manufacturing of munitions, drones, and artillery, systemic vulnerabilities remain.

There is a significant gap between the high rate of equipment attrition at the front and the actual ability to replace high-value technological systems. While the modernization of Soviet-era reserves provides a steady flow of armored vehicles and heavy artillery, these stocks are facing progressive exhaustion.

The Russian defense industry faces difficulties replacing advanced platforms, precision avionics, radar systems, and modern electronic components due to a heavy reliance on foreign supply chains and Western technologies currently restricted by international sanctions. Despite attempts to use third-party countries to import dual-use components, the industry suffers from chronic shortages of skilled labor, aging high-precision machinery, and structural dependencies that slow the assembly of sophisticated defense systems.