Russia asks other countries to return weapons sold to them – WSJ

Russia is trying to get back some of the weapons it exported to countries such as Pakistan, Egypt, Belarus and Brazil.

Source: The Wall Street Journal with reference to sources

Details: Three sources told The WSJ that last April, a delegation of Russian officials who visited Cairo asked Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to return more than a hundred engines from Russian helicopters that Moscow needed for its war against Ukraine.

Sisi has agreed, and deliveries of about 150 engines are likely to begin next month, sources say.

Quote from WSJ: "Those talks were part of a larger Russian push to seek help from its longtime arms customers, who for decades bought Russian aircraft, missiles and air-defense systems, making Moscow the world’s second-largest arms exporter. 

Throughout the year, Russia held talks with officials from Pakistan, Belarus and Brazil to try to acquire engines for the Russian attack and transport helicopters its forces lost to Ukrainian defenses early in the war." 

More details: Two sources, including a former Russian intelligence officer, told The WSJ about this. The source reports that Russia is secretly trying to buy back what it sold to its "customers" earlier.

In addition, Russia has sacrificed part of its lucrative "arms export business" because of the war. In particular, weapons intended for India and Armenia are now being sent to the contact zone in Ukraine, as the sources note.

Quote from WSJ: "Much of Moscow’s efforts to buy back Russian arms have come as the Kremlin pushed back against an offensive by Ukraine’s forces in the east and south of the country. With that offensive now slowing, Russia is seeking to retake the initiative on the battlefield, although it is unclear whether the new supplies will give Moscow the resources it needs to step up its attacks."

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