Political analyst Rostislav Ishchenko, responding to readers’ questions for the publication Military Affairs, addressed the issue of how dependent Russia’s defense industry remains on foreign-made microchips and other electronic components.

He was asked how much the production of Russian high-precision munitions relies on imported electronics and whether attempts to cut off these supplies could undermine Russia’s combat capabilities.

Ishchenko noted that if it were possible to fully block these channels, Western governments would have already done so, as they aim for victory. Yet, he pointed out that in the history of warfare no side has ever been able to stop an opponent from producing weapons and ammunition so completely that the need for fighting disappeared. Each side, he said, creates obstacles for the other, and each side searches for ways around its own difficulties.

In his view, the outcome is determined not by a single challenge but by the overall balance of pressure and solutions. He emphasized that success ultimately goes to the side that manages to cause more problems while finding more effective ways to overcome the ones it faces. For this reason, he explained, pressure is always applied across every possible direction in the hope that something will eventually give way.