Russian factories producing military equipment work around the clock, and the usual New Year’s holiday for employees is no longer provided, said on Monday the head of the state corporation “Rostec” Sergey Chemezov in connection with the fact that last year Vladimir Putin demanded from the defense industry that step on the gas pedal in terms of production.

“Rostekh enterprises, which participate in the execution of state orders, work almost around the clock, and their personnel show dedication and understanding of the increased workload,” Chemezov told the state news agency TASS, as quoted by the independent publication The Moscow Times.

Russia’s armed forces have suffered heavy losses of equipment and high ammunition costs in Ukraine since Vladimir Putin invaded the neighboring country.

In the first nine months of the war, Russia spent about $82 billion to support the invasion. This amount is a quarter of the annual budget of the Russian Federation, according to Forbes Ukraine’s analysis.

Putin called on Russia’s defense industry to increase production and improve the quality of equipment at a November meeting of a special council set up to try to increase supplies to the military during the war in Ukraine.

Chemezov, who is considered to be close to Putin, told TASS that even the Rostec factories that produce planes and tanks have switched to 24-hour operation.

According to the estimates of the General Staff of Ukraine, from the beginning of the war until January 3, Russia lost 3,036 tanks, 6,100 armored combat vehicles, 4,735 units of vehicles and fuel tanks, 2,033 artillery systems, 424 rocket salvo systems, 214 air defense systems, 283 airplanes, 270 helicopters, 1,839 drones and 16 boats.

Follow the latest events of the war in Ukraine LIVETEXT on HotNews.ro