Page 37 - bneIntelliNews monthly country report Russia May 2024

are trying to increase support. Over the past year, Russia has learned to develop new weapons and ammunition faster than at any time in its modern history, including during the Cold War, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said. According to him, the Russian Federation managed to quicken weapon production thanks to huge supplies of machine tools, microelectronics, and optics, mainly from China. The Secretary of State emphasised that aid to Russia from China creates two problems at once: it allows the Russian Federation to continue its war against Ukraine and contributes to restoring the Russian defense and industrial base. Blinken believes that the aggressor country will use this weapon against European countries when it is "done with Ukraine." Meanwhile, Latvia has agreed to transfer another package of military aid to Ukraine, which should improve air defense and intelligence capabilities. In particular, Ukraine’s military will receive NBS anti-aircraft installations, tactical unmanned surveillance systems, among other equipment.
The Minister of defence of the Russian Federation Serhiy Shoigu said that in 2024, the first samples of the new generation S-500 anti-aircraft missile system in two versions will be delivered to the Russian army. "This year the troops will receive: the first samples of the new generation S-500 anti-aircraft missile system in two versions - long-range anti-aircraft missile systems and anti-missile defence systems, S-400, S-300B4 anti-aircraft missile systems , Buk-M3, Tor-M2U, radar stations of the new generation".
Ukraine says Russia's use of illegal tear gas on battlefield is increasing. Ukrainian military officials have previously said that Russia is deploying chemical weapons on the battlefield in violation of the 1925 Geneva Protocol. The usage of riot control gas in war is also banned under the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, which Russia is a signatory of.
Russia continues to have access to missile, drone components. Military aid for Ukraine is limited, while Russia continues to have access to "critical components needed to produce missiles and drones," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on April 14.
2.14 Polls & Sociology
Three quarters of Russian citizens (76%) express their support for the ongoing military actions of Russian troops in Ukraine, with only 16% opposing, according to the latest figures released by the Levada Center, a non-governmental polling and sociological research organisation in Russia. The survey also found a decline in the number of Russians favouring peace negotiations, dropping to 48% now from 57% in November.
The predominant sentiment among respondents is a determined resolve to "go to the end" and "finish what we started". These responses emerged from an open-ended question, allowing participants to articulate their reasons without
37 RUSSIA Country Report May 2024 www.intellinews.com