Why is Russia Building a New Ammunition Factory in Venezuela?

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By building an ammunition factory in Venezuela, Russia aims to achieve several strategic, political, and military objectives within a complex international context.

According to the American magazine The National Interest, the project is designed to ensure the continued supply of 7.62 mm ammunition in the Western Hemisphere, challenging restrictions placed on Russian arms and ammunition exports.

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Project Details

The Russian state-owned arms export company Rosoboronexport announced that construction is progressing according to plan. The facility will manufacture 7.62 mm ammunition, one of the most commonly used calibers in small arms.

According to the Russian news agency TASS, the factory is expected to produce up to 70 million rounds per year.

High-ranking Venezuelan officials attended the groundbreaking ceremony, including the Deputy Minister of Defense and the Minister of Industry and National Production.

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Russia’s Strategic Shift

During the Cold War, Moscow exported large quantities of weapons to its global allies. Today, Russia is no longer able to supply arms for free and is instead focusing on partnerships with foreign countries to produce Russian weapons under local licenses.

A notable example is the production of Kalashnikov rifles in Venezuela. Since 2006, an agreement was in place to build a factory to manufacture a licensed version of the AK-103 rifle.

Despite delays caused by sanctions and corruption scandals, the factory began production last year with a capacity of up to 25,000 rifles per year.

This project enables Venezuela to obtain a steady supply of ammunition, bypassing international sanctions that limit the import of Russian weaponry.

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Types of Ammunition Produced

The facility includes four modern production lines: two for steel-core ammunition, and two for tracer rounds and inert training ammunition.

Additional production lines are planned soon to complete the full ammunition and Kalashnikov rifle manufacturing cycle within Venezuela, in order to meet the needs of the military, police, and other security agencies.

According to the report, Venezuela is one of the largest users of Russian military equipment in South America.

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Moscow views this cooperation as a way to strengthen bilateral ties and support Venezuela’s efforts to combat organized crime and drug trafficking.

The project also gives the left-wing Venezuelan government greater capacity to maintain control in the face of both internal and external pressures.

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