Reinforcements from Russia: where Putin found more weapons and troops as the invasion of Ukraine drags on

Russia’s shortage of weapons and troops has forced it to turn to other rogue nations and some surprising sources in an attempt to support its invasion of Ukraine.

Analysts had predicted that the invasion of Russia would only last for days or weeks due to the reliance on a superior military force with vast supplies and an overwhelming advantage in terms of manpower, but nine months later, Moscow tried to supply itself with weapons and troops from other countries.

“Russia clearly was not prepared for the nine-month slog it is fighting in Ukraine now,” Rebekah Koffler, president of Doctrine & Strategy Consulting and former DIA intelligence officer, told Fox News Digital. “Putin thought it would be a one or two week project, [and] Russian intelligence failed to accurately estimate Zelenskyy’s ability to galvanize Western support, Ukrainians’ willingness to fight, the willingness of the US and Europe to provide unprecedented levels of security aid, and the tactical limitations of Russian forces. “.

Experts previously told Fox News Digital how “rampant” corruption has undermined the Russian military, with the oligarchs pocketing the money instead of investing it in the military in the past three decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

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And Ukraine has bolstered its supplies with massive investments from the US and its NATO allies, helping to level the battlefield for months and allowing Ukraine to push back Russian forces. Russian President Vladimir Putin had to withdraw his troops from the eastern border and focus on blocking the “rebel” states in Ukraine after failing to achieve any major strategic goals.

But now Russia has started building its own coalition of allies, even as those allies try to keep their support silent.

“Russia has already fired on the order of 3,000-4,000 missiles into Ukraine, more than expected, with hundreds of missiles fired in the past two weeks against Ukrainian critical infrastructure to cut off electricity and water supplies before winter,” he said. Koffler explained. He added that “the Russian missile arsenal is almost certainly running out” and the current inventory is “probably” below 40% of pre-war levels.

The United States on Wednesday accused North Korea of ​​secretly supplying Russia with artillery shells, and over the past month reports detailed how Iran first supplied Russia with Shahed-136 “kamikaze” drones and then trained the Russian troops to their use. New reports indicate that Iran has added the Mohajer-6 and Shahed-129 drones to its shipments.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said in a virtual briefing that North Korea had attempted to hide the shipments by sending them through countries in the Middle East and North Africa, Reuters reported.

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“Our indications are that the DPRK is providing covertly and we will check to see if shipments are received,” Kirby said, adding that Washington will consult with the United Nations on shipping liability issues.

“We have an idea of ​​where these bullets are going to transfer,” Kirby said. He declined to give any further details as the United States evaluates its possible options. But he insisted that weapons would likely not change the momentum or outcome of the war.

The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) reported that Iran could even increase its support and provide Russia with short-range ballistic missiles, a move that indicates any economic relief Tehran would get through the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ( JCPOA) – also known as the nuclear deal with Iran, would end up funding Russia’s war and reducing US sanctions.

“With reports that Iran plans to send short-range ballistic missiles to Russia for use against Ukraine – and as the Iranian people shout in the streets for regime change – the United States and its European allies should withdraw all the sanctions offered to Tehran and complete the UN sanctions snapback to the Security Council, ”wrote Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser to the FDD, in an analysis published Wednesday.

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The transfer would include Fateh-110 and Zulfiqar short-range ballistic missiles. The Fateh-110 can reach a range of 150-180 miles, while the Zulfiqar could potentially reach targets within 435 miles.

Iran has already sent over 3,500 drones to Russia, with most of the units manufactured in factories operated by the Iranian Ministry of Defense and the Iranian Aviation and Space Industries Association (IASIA).

Weapons alone will not win the war as Putin has also tried to replenish his exhausted forces. After months of silence on the true death toll, both CIA Director William Burns and British intelligence chief Richard Moore indicated that Russia lost some 15,000 troops in the first five months of the invasion.

“For months we have seen attempts by Russia to recruit some sort of their own version of the foreign legion, of particular communities by the Wagner Group on the ground from Syria, Libya, the Central African Republic,” Goldberg told Fox Digital News. “We also heard news of Serbs who fought on the pro-Russian side.”

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“[One of] the main motivation for doing this for the Russians is that they are rapidly running out of strength, “Goldberg explained.” They are moving towards reserve calls and do not want to have to continue taxing the Russian population wherever possible.

“So to the extent that they can lean on foreign troops to do the work, to have non-Russians fighting and dying rather than Russian bodies returning home to their families, that’s their preference,” he added, noting that Putin is looking for “low-cost, high-impact systems.”

Putin attempted to replenish his forces through forced enlistment by announcing a “partial mobilization”, but many Russian men decided to flee the country rather than join Putin’s war in Ukraine.

Russia had already attracted Chechen fighters into the first phase of the war in Ukraine after it became clear that the conflict would not end as soon as Putin believed and required more effort.

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In the following months, reports began to emerge of Russia turning to friendly nations and seeking reinforcements. The New York Times reported in April that Putin had turned to Syrian and Georgian fighters to bolster his forces.

And several Afghan military and security sources last week said elite National Army Commando Corps soldiers began joining Russian forces after the United States left the 20,000 to 30,000-member force after military withdrawal.

As many as 10,000 of the former commandos were initially inclined to accept Russia’s offer, Foreign Policy reported.

Goldberg compared the growing Russian coalition to the Ukrainian International Legion, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy established at the start of the conflict. In the first week, it attracted 20,000 volunteers from 52 countries.

“Moscow is running out of both military equipment and personnel, having to fill gaps with non-indigenous capabilities. It is procuring weapons from Iran and North Korea and relying on the mercenary contingent, the Wagner Group, on Chechen fighters, Kadyrov , to replenish his regular forces, “Koffler said. “They are also recruiting prisoners and bringing in former Afghan security forces, which were displaced when the Taliban returned to power following the US withdrawal.

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“Despite all these limitations, Putin will not back down. On the contrary, he is preparing for an all-out fight with the United States and NATO and is shifting to an asymmetrical strategy.”

Reuters contributed to this report.