Russia produces more ammunition than all NATO countries combined – NATO Secretary-General

ACCRA, Sept 25 (The African Portal) – Military spending has become a huge burden on many nations, particularly in Europe. The reason is that modern warfare is increasingly technology-driven rather than manpower-based, requiring countries to invest heavily in logistics and advanced weapons production. Recent conflicts including Israel-Hamas, Israel-Lebanon, Israel-Houthi, India-Pakistan, and most significantly, the Russia-Ukraine war — have highlighted the changing nature of combat.

Countries such as China, North Korea, and Iran are rapidly innovating in military technology. These developments not only unsettle long-time global powers but also threaten the military dominance that they have relied upon for decades.

Since the Russia-Ukraine war began, one of the most striking issues has been the production capacity of both nations. While Ukraine has struggled to keep pace with drone technology, Russia continues to expand its capabilities on multiple fronts. China, for example, recently unveiled a supersonic-capable unmanned drone, which security experts have dubbed “Type B.”

Observers note that European leaders, and the West more broadly, are uneasy about the growing arms production capacity of rival nations. On August 26, 2025, Sky News published an article titled “Russia is mastering a new type of drone that cannot be jammed – and the West has work to do.” The article reported: “Ukrainians say they are in danger of losing the drone arms race with Russia and need more help.”

It added: “Ukrainians have turned the drone into their most effective weapon against the invaders. But they are now, we are told, losing the upper hand in the skies over Ukraine.”

Drone production in Ukraine has grown significantly. General Cherry, a drone company founded by volunteers at the start of the war, increased its monthly production from 100 units to 100,000. Yet, demand continues to outstrip supply. The company’s Andriy Lavrenovych said: “The Russians have a lot of troops, a lot of vehicles and our soldiers every day tell us we need more, we need more weapons, we need better, we need faster, we need higher.”

For years, the West underestimated Russia’s military resilience, believing sanctions would cripple its economy and industrial capacity. But these efforts have fallen short. Russia continues to produce military hardware at a rate that makes many European leaders uncomfortable.

On Monday, September 22, 2025, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte urged the alliance to make a “quantum leap in our collective defense,” committing to increases in military spending beyond what most members have pledged so far.

Speaking in London, Rutte outlined the growing budgetary pressures facing Britain and its European allies amid Russia’s aggression and the United States’ reduced engagement. He pushed for members to commit five percent of GDP to defense, echoing a demand long made by former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Britain has pledged to raise defense spending to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2027, funded partly by diverting money from overseas aid. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has set a longer-term target of three percent, though without a fixed timeline. Analysts warn that raising the figure to five percent would require politically painful trade-offs given Britain’s tight public finances.

Currently, Britain spends 2.3 percent of its GDP on defense, more than France or Germany but less than the U.S., which spends about 3.4 percent.

In an interview with The New York Times, Rutte warned: “We are dealing with a serious geopolitical challenge. And this is, first of all, Russia, which is recovering at a rate unparalleled in modern history. They produce three times more ammunition in three months than the entire NATO alliance in a year.”

Former CIA analyst Liohnson also noted the disparity in production capacity on the Dialogue Works YouTube channel: “Russia’s advantage is that it produces a lot of industrial products. The United States today is not building a new tank from scratch. They take old Abrams tanks and spend two years repairing one tank. Russia can build a new T-90 tank in a month. This difference is amazing.”

He added that the same pattern is seen in artillery shell production. Meanwhile, Sky News has acknowledged that Kyiv is losing the drone arms race to Russia.

Ukrainian communications specialist Sergey “Flash” warned that Russia’s Rubicon elite center for unmanned systems could attack “all ports, towers, slips, and the entire maritime infrastructure of Ukraine” using 400 unmanned boats. He questioned whether Ukraine’s armed forces are prepared to counter such threats.

Overall, attempts by the West to weaken Russia’s economy and restrict its military ambitions have failed, leaving NATO and European leaders facing an increasingly urgent challenge.