Russia’s stockpiling of weapons demonstrate its commitment to achieving war goals – ISW

This is according to a report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), as cited by Ukrinform.

ISW analysts highlight information from The Economist, which reported that, according to Ukrainian government sources, the Kremlin currently holds a stockpile of 500 ballistic missiles.

Russia is increasing the production of Shahed drones, now reportedly capable of producing around 100 Shaheds per day, which is four to five times more than the estimated daily output at the end of 2024, the report states.

ISW notes that Russia’s recent significant modifications to its long-range Shahed drones and decoy UAVs indicate efforts to adapt to Ukraine’s effective countermeasures, which have been successfully repelling drone attacks.

Russian forces had previously used Shahed drones to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses, creating openings for missile strikes. However, the recent drone upgrades suggest that Russia is working to restore the Shahed as an effective weapon.

Russia is likely focusing on adapting Shaheds, increasing their production pace, and launching them in greater quantities because drones are relatively inexpensive and can be mass-produced, unlike the costly missiles, which can only be manufactured at a significantly lower rate, ISW explains.

Analysts believe that Russia is learning to optimize combinations of drone and missile strikes to more effectively penetrate Ukrainian air defenses and deplete missile defense stockpiles. These lessons will likely be applied in any future conflict.

As Ukrinform previously reported, the Kremlin is attempting to use large-scale missile and drone attacks and increasingly aggressive rhetoric to convince the West of the inevitability of Russian victory and the futility of continued aid to Ukraine.