Russian military hardware wrecked in Ukraine war could ‘lower demand’ in Southeast Asia
- From Vietnam to Myanmar and Indonesia, Moscow’s defence clients may look elsewhere for arms after witnessing its forces’ poor performance, a new report says
- As the Ukraine conflict impacts supply, buyers could turn to India for spare parts — or even seek alternatives from North Korea
A recent report by the Singapore-based ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute found that the conflict has damaged the reputation of Russia’s defence equipment in Southeast Asia, once a source of considerable revenue for the country.
Russia has been the largest exporter of arms to Southeast Asia over the past two decades, but since 2014, the value of its defence sales to the region has plummeted.
The Ukraine war will make it difficult for its defence industry to revive sales, and is likely to lead to further declines in arms exports to Southeast Asia, according to the report’s author, Ian Storey, a senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.
“The Russian armed forces’ poor performance on the battlefield has caused significant reputational damage to Russian-manufactured military hardware,” Storey said.
Buyers eyeing specific pieces are now said to be nursing doubts.