For years, the Russian government has been attempting to create an 'Iron Man'-type of suit for battle. This had remained all talk, but in recent years, this world superpower has appeared to have started testing the use of exoskeletons on the battlefield with Ukraine.
Even prior to recent Russian media announcements about their hope to build a superhuman exoskeleton for soldiers, giving them the ability to both carry more weapons and have more stamina, Russian powers had been rumored to have testing out a suit of armor that would make Star Wars fans nostalgic.
Russian media stated that artillery forces would be testing "exoskeletons" over a course of two months during the winter. As the conflict only continues to escalate, what could this mean for Ukrainian soldiers? Ukrainian soldiers can expect to hear of rumored testing of these structures in the coming months, as testing will allegedly begin in December 2022.
The rumored goal of this structure is to protect every bit of the soldier as possible. Ultimately, Russia's subcontractor building the supposed suit of armor, Ekzo Solutions, wants to build a suit that makes military fighters untouchable and indestructible.
That's a tall order, especially during wartime with no end in sight. However, this is not the first time that Russia has threatened new technological advancements that did not quite meet standards.
Rushing to resupply
Ukraine has claimed that Russia's armed forces are scrambling to produce new military equipment as the country faces heavy losses in its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The Jerusalem Post reported in March that attempts by Russia to replenish troops and materials have been hampered by corruption and international sanctions against the country.
Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) said that based on its assessments, components and electronics had been stolen from Russian vehicles, claiming that many tanks from Russia's 4th Tank Division had been "completely dismantled."
Furthermore, the GUR claimed that Russia has depended upon imported modern military equipment and electronics and sanctions have limited its supply of these items while driving up costs.
Russian President Vladimir Putin promoted the sale of "battle-tested" Russian weaponry during a speech in a military forum outside Moscow in August, claiming that "military professionals throughout the world value these weapons for their reliability, quality and, most importantly, their high efficiency."
Despite rising difficulties in the war with Ukraine, with Russia losing tens of thousands of troops as well as countless vehicles, tanks, artillery systems, advanced tech and other pieces of military equipment, Putin insists that "Russian weaponry was years ahead of the competition."
The US Defense Department and American intelligence officials believe that Russia’s severe losses will begin to cause significant slowdowns in the Kremlin’s arms deliveries into Africa, which could give inroads to Russia’s competitors, such as China and the United States.