Analysts predicted Russia’s invasion would last only days or weeks because of reliance on a superior military force with vast supplies and an overwhelming manpower advantage, but nine months later, Moscow has sought to procure weapons and troops from other countries. “Russia clearly wasn’t prepared for the nine months it’s been fighting in Ukraine now,” Rebecca Koffler, president of Doctrine & Strategy Consulting and a former DIA officer, told Fox News Digital. “Putin thought it would be a one- to two-week project, [and] Russian intelligence failed to accurately assess Zelensky’s ability to mobilize Western support, the will of Ukrainians to fight, the willingness of the US and Europe to provide unprecedented levels of security assistance, and the tactical limitations of Russian forces.” Experts have told Fox News Digital how “rampant” corruption has undermined Russia’s military, with oligarchs allegedly pocketing money instead of investing it in the military in the past three decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Rebekah Koffler THE RUSSIA-IRAN MONSTER: BIDEN’S STRATEGIC INCOMPETENCE CREATED A NEW THREAT TO AMERICA And Ukraine has bolstered its own supplies with heavy investment from the US and its NATO allies, helping to level the battlefield for months and allowing Ukraine to push back Russian forces. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been forced to withdraw troops from his eastern border and focus on locking down “rebel” states in Ukraine after failing to achieve a major strategic goal. But now Russia has begun building its own coalition of allies, even as those allies try to keep their support tacit. Russian President Vladimir Putin, front right, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, left, and Chief of the Russian Fleet Nikolai Yevmenov, back right, on a boat during the Navy Day Parade, July 31, 2022, in St. Petersburg, of Russia. (Contributor/Getty Images) “Russia has already fired 3,000-4,000 missiles on order into Ukraine, more than expected, with hundreds of missiles launched over the past two weeks targeting critical Ukrainian infrastructure to disrupt electricity and water supplies ahead of winter,” explained Koffler. He added that “Russia’s missile arsenal is almost certainly running out” and the current stockpile is “probably” below 40% of pre-war levels. The US on Wednesday accused North Korea of secretly supplying Russia with artillery shells, and reports last month described how Iran first supplied Russia with Shahed-136 “kamikaze” drones and then trained Russian troops in their use. New reports indicate that Iran has added Mohajer-6 as well as Shahed-129 drones to its missions. White House National Security Press Secretary John Kirby said in a virtual briefing that North Korea tried to hide the shipments by sending them through countries in the Middle East and North Africa, Reuters reported. RUSSIA RE-IMPORTS UKRAINE GRAIN EXPORT AGREEMENT AT WAR “Our indications are that the DPRK is secretly supplying and we will be watching to see if the shipments are being received,” Kirby said, adding that Washington would consult with the United Nations on accountability issues related to the shipments. “We have a sense of where these shells will carry,” Kirby said. He declined to elaborate as the US weighs its possible options. However, he insisted the weapons were unlikely to change the momentum or outcome of the war. Russian self-propelled artillery vehicles roll during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, May 9. (AP/Alexander Zemlianichenko) The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) reported that Iran may even increase its support and provide Russia with short-range ballistic missiles, a move that points to any financial relief Tehran will gain through the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). JCPOA) — also known as the Iran nuclear deal — would end up funding Russia’s war and undermining US sanctions. “With reports that Iran plans to send short-range ballistic missiles to Russia to use against Ukraine – and as the people of Iran cry out in the streets for regime change – the US and its European allies should withdraw all offers sanctions relief on Tehran and complete the withdrawal of UN sanctions at the Security Council,” Richard Goldberg, senior adviser at FDD, wrote in an analysis published Wednesday. UK BOOSTS SECURITY FOR HACKING FEARS FROM RUSSIA, CHINA The transfer will include Fateh-110 and Zulfiqar short-range ballistic missiles. The Fateh-110 can reach a range of 150-180 miles, while the Zulfiqar could potentially reach targets within 435 miles. Iran has already shipped over 3,500 drones to Russia, with most of the units produced at factories operated by Iran’s Ministry of Defense and the Iran Aerospace Industries Association (IASIA). Russian military vehicles drive on a highway in an area controlled by Russian-backed separatist forces near Mariupol, Ukraine, in late April. (AP/Alexei Alexandrov) Weapons alone will not win the war, as Putin has also sought to replenish his depleted forces. After months of silence on the actual number of casualties, both CIA director William Burns and British intelligence chief Richard Moore said Russia lost around 15,000 troops in the first five months of the invasion. “We’ve seen for months Russia’s efforts to recruit its own version of the foreign legion, particular communities from the Wagner group in the field from Syria, from Libya, from the Central African Republic,” Goldberg told Fox News. Digital. “We have heard reports of Serbs, too, fighting on the pro-Russian side.” JOURNALIST’S DAILY: RETURN TO KIEV AS RUSSIA TARGETS CITY WITH DRONES AND FIREWORKS “[One of] The main motivations for doing this for the Russians is that they are quickly depleting their own forces,” Goldberg explained. “They are going on reserve calls and they don’t want to continue to tax the Russian population wherever possible. “So to the extent that they can rely on foreign troops to do the job, have non-Russians fight and die instead of Russian bodies coming home to their families, that’s their preference,” he added, noting that the Putin seeks “low-cost, high-impact systems.” The armed forces of Russia and Belarus take part in a military exercise in Gomel, Belarus, on February 19. (Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Putin tried to replenish his forces through conscription, announcing a “partial mobilization,” but many Russians decided to leave the country rather than join Putin’s war in Ukraine. Russia had already drawn in Chechen fighters in the early phase of the war in Ukraine after it became clear that the conflict would not end as soon as Putin thought it would and would require more commitment. RUSSIA EXTENDS UKRAINE EVACUATION ORDERS TO OCCUPIED KHERSON In the following months, reports began to emerge that Russia was reaching out to friendly nations and seeking reinforcements. The New York Times reported in April that Putin had turned to Syrian and Georgian fighters to bolster their forces. And multiple Afghan military and security sources said last week that elite National Army Commando Corps soldiers had begun to join Russian forces after the US left a force of 20,000 to 30,000 members behind after its withdrawal. Ukrainian firefighters put out a fire following a strike in Zaporizhia on October 6, 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Marina Moiseyenko/AFP via Getty Images) About 10,000 of the former commandos were initially inclined to accept Russia’s offer, Foreign Policy reported. Goldberg likened Russia’s growing coalition to the Ukrainian International Legion, which was founded by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the start of the conflict. In the first week it gathered 20,000 volunteers from 52 countries. “Moscow is running out of both military hardware and personnel, it needs to fill the gaps with non-indigenous capabilities. It gets weapons from Iran and North Korea and relies on the mercenary, Wagner Group, Chechen fighters, Kadyrov, to replenish its regular forces,” Koffler said. “They are even recruiting prisoners and bringing in former Afghan security forces, who were displaced as the Taliban came back to power after the US withdrew. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Despite all these constraints, Putin will not back down. Instead, he is preparing for an all-out battle with the US and NATO and the transition to an asymmetric strategy.” Reuters contributed to this report. Peter Aitken is a Fox News Digital reporter with a focus on national and global news.
