‘You should be working three shifts’ – Shoigu inspects completion of state defence orders at Russia’s Altai region enterprises

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was seen inspecting the production of complex components used in weaponry and ammunition at the defence industry enterprises in the Altai region on Saturday. Footage shows the defence chief inspecting the production process for aviation and anti-aircraft munitions, MLRS projectiles, rocket-propelled grenade ammunition, and other weaponry. According to the Defence Ministry, since 2022 the factory has increased its output by 3.5 times, and ‘about 300 new machines and equipment were installed at various production sites’ in 2023. Shoigu was seen instructing the factory management to increase production efficiency. « Our country has allocated a huge amount of money so that you can produce what we need here. A huge amount of money. And everyone is working hard, everyone is doing everything they can to get this equipment here. And with so many machines – there are more than thirty of them here, you only have three technicians to set them up? What are you adjusting here? You should be working three shifts, » he said. Speaking at a meeting after the inspection, Shoigu noted that the deadline for projects relating to the design of new defence industry facilities in the region had not been met. « The only thing that remains, which prevents us from fulfilling the tasks we are facing in a timely and planned manner, is the issues related to project design. Those who undermined our deadlines by almost half a year, these organisations must answer for such disruptions, » he stated, adding that all the necessary funding had been provided, the equipment and construction materials had been purchased in order to implement the ‘technical modernisation and rearmament’ programme launched by the President of Russia.