Many Russian reservists 'likely' buying own body armour, says UK MoD
Many Russian reservists called up to fight in Ukraine are probably having to buy their own body armour – and its prices have soared, the latest British intelligence briefing says.
The UK Ministry of Defence also said in its daily update that “endemic corruption and poor logistics” remained a cause of Russia’s “poor performance” in Ukraine.
The ministry said the average amount of personal equipment Russia was providing to its mobilised reservists was “almost certainly lower than the already poor provision of previously deployed troops”.
It tweeted:
Many reservists are likely required to purchase their own body armour, especially the modern 6B45 vest, which is meant to be on general issue to combat units as part of the Ratnik personal equipment programme.
The ministry said the vest had been selling on Russian online shopping sites for 40,000 roubles (about US$640 or £570), up from about 12,000 roubles in April.
It said that in 2020 Russian authorities announced that 300,000 sets of the Ratnik armour had been supplied to its military – “ample to equip the force currently deployed in Ukraine”.
International Monetary Fund member countries issued a near-unanimous call for Russia to end its war in Ukraine, the IMF’s steering committee chair said on Friday, calling the conflict the single biggest factor fueling inflation and slowing the global economy.
But Reuters also reported that Nadia Calvino, Spain’s economy minister, told a news conference Russia had again blocked consensus on issuing a joint communique during a meeting of the international monetary and financial committee.
Calvino said the call for an end to the war was stronger than at IMF and World Bank meetings in April as the conflict causes food and energy insecurity, rising prices and financial stability risks.
The IMF managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, said:
It is very clear for just on a human level, practical level, objective level: stop the war. Stop the war. This is the most straightforward way to get the world economy in better shape. Stop the war.
Georgieva’s sentiments were echoed by the US Treasury secretary, Janet Yellen, who said at a separate news conference that in thinking about economic responses, “it’s obvious what the most important is, and everyone agrees Russia should stop its war on Ukraine”.
Russia’s opposition to such calls forced the IMF steering committee to issue a chair’s statement, Calvino said, adding that it reflected strong agreement on many economic issues.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine was “stronger than ever” and would emerge victorious in its war with Russia, as Ukraine marked its first Defenders Day since Moscow invaded.
The Ukrainian president said in a video address to mark the public holiday on Friday:
On October 14 we express our gratitude to everyone who fought for Ukraine in the past and to everyone who is fighting for it now; to all who won then, and to everyone who will definitely win now