Russians turn to Western arms: Precision weapons surge despite sanctions
Although Kremlin propaganda claims that Russia produces the best weapons in the world, Russian soldiers often hold a different opinion. As a result, the import of Western weapons, brought into Russia through neighboring countries, is increasing. Despite sanctions, Russians are acquiring more Western arms.
The primary focus is on precision weapons and the ammunition intended for them. According to an investigation by the Russian-language service The Insider, Western weapons enter Russia via Central Asian and Caucasian countries.
Despite sanctions imposed in 2014—after Russia's first incursion into Ukraine, which resulted in the secession of Donbas and Luhansk—the scale of Western weapon imports has steadily increased. Tens of thousands of precision rifles have reached Russia.
In 2020, Western manufacturers sold a total of 19,556 weapons to Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. By 2023, this number rose to 53,211 units.
The Insider notes that Russians themselves have a low opinion of their weapons. This was confirmed by a competition held in September 2024 in Russian-occupied Crimea. In a shooting contest involving a target 1,750 yards away, among 36 competitors, only seven used Russian weapons, and just four used Russian ammunition.
Popular precision rifle models included the American Desert Tech SRS, the British Accuracy International AXSR, and the Austrian Steyr Mannlicher SSG.
According to The Insider, the prevalent precision weapon in Russia remains the Dragunov sniper rifle, also known as the SVD. This weapon was developed in the early 1960s with the assumption that its user would not be a sniper but rather a designated marksman operating as part of a team.
The sight settings allow for firing up to 1,312 yards. The SVD rifle is 48 inches long, and with the scope and 7.62×54 mm R ammunition in a 10-round magazine, it weighs over 12 pounds.
