Russian Military Seeks to Reduce Dependence on Ukrainian Production and Facilities

Despite warming ties between Moscow and Kyiv following the election of Viktor Yanukovich, the Russian military is continuing with plans to reduce Russia’s dependence on the production of the Ukrainian military industrial complex by building up plants in the Russian Federation which can produce the same things.

On the one hand, such steps could be an effort by Moscow to put additional pressure on Kyiv by threatening to reduce Russian purchases in a key sector or simply be an effort by the Russian high command to secure greater funding, at least part of which would likely end in the bank accounts of senior officers.

But on the other hand, and despite the opposition of some in the Russian capital, these moves appear more likely a reflection of a growing acceptance by Russian leaders that Ukraine will remain independent, that Kyiv’s politics are not predictable, and that in the future, the Ukrainian government will again pursue policies at odds with Moscow.

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