NATO to increase weapons production 'massively': Stoltenberg

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NATO is actively working on a "massive" increase in weapons production to strengthen its military capabilities and support Ukraine, said Jens Stoltenberg, NATO's Secretary-General on Thursday. 

"NATO is also working with the defense industry, and through our defense planning process, to replenish depleted stocks of weapons and ammunition and massively step up production — for Ukraine and for our own defenses," he said in a Financial Times article. 

Stoltenberg stressed that NATO will support Ukraine for as long as necessary. 

Western countries, according to the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, have supplied over 350 tanks, 700 artillery systems, 100 multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), 30 helicopters, at least 5,000 drones, and 1,000 armored fighting vehicles to Ukraine since February 24. Valery Gerasimov noted that total financial assistance to Ukraine has reached almost $100 billion. 

Yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said NATO is currently using almost all of its potential against Russia, and Moscow must develop its knowledge and understanding of the West's weaponry systems, experience, and tactics to bolster the fighting potential of the Russian Armed Forces.

"All the information about NATO forces, the means which are actively used in the course of the special military operation [in Ukraine], to oppose us are well known," he said.

However, as NATO pumps arms into Ukraine, a State Department cable obtained by Politico last week said the Biden administration is running into major obstacles tracking the aid sent from Washington to Kiev, which has amounted to tens of billions of dollars since the start of the Ukraine war, resorting to blockchain technology and Ukrainian personnel to help them track the aid flowing into their country.

The cable, sent out from the US embassy in Kiev back in September, details what the United States is going through in terms of oversight as it tries and watch where its money is going as they abide by the restrictions and limits on the number of officials they can have in the field as well as the security measures prohibiting them from moving flexibly.

Meanwhile, weapons overused by the Ukrainian military are either being wiped out or damaged during the conflict.

At least one-third of the 350 US-made howitzers sent to Ukraine is already out of action, according to defense officials in the US.