Article is paywalled, https://archive.md/Du5yG
In other words, Russia is losing around 320 tank and artillery cannon barrels a month and producing only 20. The Russian engineering industry lacks the skills to build rotary forges; in fact, the world market is dominated by a single Austrian company, GFM. Russia is unlikely to acquire more forges and increase its production rate, and neither North Korea nor Iran have significant stockpiles of suitable replacement barrels. Only a decision by China to provide barrels from its own stockpiles could stave off Russia’s barrel crisis.
I fucking hate that Trump got elected.
Xi will float the Russian war effort until Trump pulls American support and since NATO can’t get their shit together Ukraine loses territory and becomes defacto satellite as Zelensky won’t be reelected if they lose the war.
Hopefully Zelensky can get to a friendly government before the Russian LGMs or FSB get him.
China is the world’s fourth largest weapons exporter. I’m sure they’re getting a sweetheart deal on the credit they’re extending.
But given how much Russia is getting from N.Korea, I wonder how much their credit is even worth anymore.
Maybe he can share a room with Juan Guiado and Jeanine Áñez.