Russian soldiers are fighting in Ukraine with “rubbish equipment” due to the Kremlin’s “Stalin taxi factory attitude”, the UK’s defence secretary has said.
In contrast, Ben Wallace said, the British military was equipped with “cutting-edge” weapons because it was open to collaboration with allies around the globe.
Mr Wallace made the comments to MPs in the House of Commons on Monday as he faced questions about the Ministry of Defence.
Asked by shadow defence minister Chris Evans about international partners’ involvement in the Fleet Solid Support contract, Mr Wallace hailed the UK’s co-operation with foreign powers on military matters.
He argued the UK’s willingness to work with other countries marked the difference “between us and Russia”.
“The GMB union have raised concerns that only significant parts of the build and assembly work will be carried out in this country rather than all the work,” Mr Evans said.
“Will the secretary of state address what the term ‘significant’ means in a practical sense, and if a foreign manufacturer does win the contract, how will our sovereign defence manufacturing capabilities be protected?”
In response, Mr Wallace said: “If the honourable gentleman can point to a single complex military contract, whether in air, land or sea that does not use international or partner supply chains, I will be amazed.
“Typhoon, made in Lancashire, uses partners from Italy, Spain, Germany to create one of the most successful fighter programmes in the world.”
He added: “Complex military machines that keep us at the cutting edge of the world involve international collaboration — that’s the difference between us and Russia that has the Stalin taxi factory attitude and ends up with rubbish equipment.
We end up with the best because I also have the duty of giving the best to the men and women of the Royal Navy.”
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has not gone according to President Vladimir Putin’s plan. Military analysts have said Soviet-era equipment may be partly to blame for the army’s sluggish performance on the battlefield.
Earlier this year, after weeks of trying to take control of the capital Kyiv, Russian soldiers were forced to retreat from the surrounding villages and towns.
In recent months, forces loyal to Moscow have seen vast parts of captured territory returned to Ukrainian control as Kyiv made land gains with its counter-offensive.
Russian forces are becoming increasingly reliant on heavy weapons from the 1960s, British and US defence officials have said.
Also in recent weeks, Russian bombers are reported to have launched anti-ship Kh-22 missiles, which can cause significant collateral damage in their bid to reach a target.
The invading army’s resources and manpower have been significantly depleted since the full-scale invasion was launched on February 24. This has led to more desperate tactics being employed, including attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, resulting in power cuts for millions.
Mr Wallace also told MPS he is still waiting for Russia to provide its “ground-breaking evidence” in support of allegations made against the UK.
On Thursday, the British ambassador to Moscow Deborah Bronnert was summoned to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs over alleged UK involvement in a drone attack on Russia’s Black Sea fleet the previous weekend.
In London, Andrey Kelin, the Russian ambassador to the UK, claimed British “specialists” had been involved in the “training, preparation and execution” of the raid. He warned the UK that it was being drawn “too deep” into the conflict.
Mr Wallace told MPs that the allegations were “clearly designed to distract the attention from Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine”.
He added that he does not expect any evidence to be presented because “what we know is that Russia is involved in misinformation”.
Ukraine war latest — in pictures
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Smoke rises on the outskirts of the city during a Russian missile attack in Kyiv. Reuters -
Workers surround the Monument to the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred with sandbags against damage from shelling in Mykolaiv. EPA -
Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomes Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev for talks before a meeting between the Russian president and the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, Russia. AFP -
People take water from a water pump in Kyiv. EPA -
A woman walks past a damaged building in the town of Nova Kakhovka. Reuters -
A woman outside her home, which was destroyed during battles at the start of the conflict, in Yahidne, Chernihiv. Getty Images -
People shelter inside a subway station during a Russian missile attack in Kyiv. Reuters -
Firefighters at the site of a drone attack in Kyiv, Ukraine. AP -
A woman walks past the site of a Russian missile strike in the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv. Reuters -
Rescuer workers at a building destroyed in an attack in Mykolaiv. Reuters -
Parts of a drone lie on a street in Kyiv. Reuters -
A drone flies over the Ukrainian capital during an attack. AFP -
Ukrainian servicemen tow a captured Russian armoured vehicle in Rudneve village, Kharkiv. EPA -
A partially destroyed residential building in Saltivka, in Kharkiv. AP -
Ukrainian servicemen fire a captured Russian howitzer on a front line near Kupyansk city, Kharkiv. EPA -
Ukrainian servicemen near the recently retaken town of Lyman in Donetsk region. AFP -
An officer from a Ukrainian national police emergency demining team prepares to detonate collected anti-tank mines and explosives near Lyman, in the Donetsk region. AFP -
A boy playing on a destroyed Russian tank on display in Kyiv. AFP -
A young couple hiding underground during an air alert in Zaporizhzhia. AFP -
Ukrainian firefighters looking for survivors after a strike in Zaporizhzhia. AFP -
Workers fix a banner reading 'Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson - Russia!' to the State Historical Museum near Red Square in Moscow. AFP -
Residents try to cross a destroyed bridge in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine. AFP -
Alyona Kishinskaya helps to clean up a shop as it prepares to reopen in Balakiya, Ukraine, after a six-month Russian occupation. Getty Images -
Alla, 12, has a swinging time in Balakiya, Ukraine, as life goes on despite the war. Getty Images -
Ukrainian flags in the town square in Balakiya. Getty Images -
A destroyed Russian command centre in Izium, Ukraine. Getty Images -
In what may be a final farewell, young Russian recruits - escorted by their wives - walk to a train station in Volgograd before being sent to war in Ukraine. AP -
Russian recruits board the train to Ukraine in Volgograd. AP -
Ukrainian soliders drive a tank at the recently retaken eastern side of the Oskil River in Kharkiv region, Ukraine. AFP -
Volunteers pass boxes of food aid on a destroyed bridge over the Oskil River. AFP -
Ukrainian soliders rest on an armoured personnel carrier. AFP -
A sign warns of landmines in Izyum, eastern Ukraine. AFP -
This crater was left after a missile strike in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. AFP
