Page 36 - RusRPTDec23

● Weapons
Russia's global share of major arms exports is significantly decreasing: 2018: 25.8% 2019: 20.4% 2020: 16.3% 2021: 10.7% 2022: 8.8%. In 2013, Russia had the largest share at 29%. Now, it falls behind not only the US (45.4%), but also France (9.4%).
Turkish exports of military-related goods to Russia have surged this year, raising concerns that the Nato member is acting as a conduit for sensitive Western goods, the Financial Times reported on November 27. Forty-five categories of civilian goods useful to the Russian military, including microchips, communications equipment and parts including telescopic sights, are subject to United States, European Union, British and Japanese export controls intended to keep them from reaching Russia. However, according to FT, Turkey reported exporting $158bn worth of such goods to Russia and five other former Soviet countries in January-September 2023 — significantly more than the pre-war average for 2015-2021, $28mn. Turkish imports of these goods from G7 countries are likewise up more than 60% from the 2015-2021 period.
According to satellite images, the construction of an Alabuga plant is underway in Russia, which will mass-produce Iranian UAVs for their further use in attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities. Despite progress, neither the US nor its allies have imposed sanctions against the owner of the Alabuga plant and its associated companies.
2.11 Polls & Sociology
75% of Russians support war. An overwhelming majority of Russians continue to support the war either strongly or moderately (75%), with only around 20% being actively opposed, a Nov. 28 report by the Carnegie Moscow Center said, citing polling information from the Russian independent polling organisation The Levada Center.
Recent Russian opinion polls indicate that roughly half of Russians maintain support for the war in Ukraine and for Russia to engage in peace negotiations.
The Levada Center – an independent Russian polling organisation – reported on October 31 that 55 percent of respondents to a recent poll believe that Russia should begin peace negotiations while 38 percent favor continuing to conduct the war.[13] The Levada Center observed that while these numbers slightly increased between September and October by four percent, they have largely remained consistent since July 2023.[14] The Levada Center added
36 RUSSIA Country Report December 2023 www.intellinews.com