Factories in Russia producing military equipment are working nonstop and have withdrawn New Year holidays from employees, the head of state defense military conglomerate Rostec Sergei Chemezov said Monday.
“Rostec’s factories involved in fulfilling state contracts are working almost around the clock and their staff are showing self-sacrifice and understanding in relation to the increased workload,” Chemezov told state news agency TASS.
The Kremlin appears to be attempting to put Russia’s economy on a war footing as the fighting in Ukraine shows no sign of coming to an end.
The Russian Armed Forces have suffered major losses of equipment and a high rate of ammunition expenditure in Ukraine since the Feb. 24 invasion.
Putin urged Russia’s defense industry to boost output and increase the quality of equipment at a November meeting of a special council that was set up in order to try and increase supplies to the military during the war in Ukraine.
Chemezov, who is believed to be a close associate of Putin’s, told TASS the Rostec factories that have switched to 24/7 production include those making aircraft and tanks.