MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russia has launched the serial production of the Cheytac sniper rifle cartridge made from domestic components only, thanks to import substitution, the head of Russian arms manufacturer Lobaev Arms, Vladislav Lobaev, told Sputnik.
“We have created a fully Russian cartridge for caliber 375 Cheytac rifles, and have already begun its mass production. For the first time, our 375 Cheytac rifles are supplied with Russian cartridges developed by Lobaev Arms and gunpowder from a Kazan enterprise, before we used foreign components,” Lobaev said.
He specified that the foreign components previously used for cartridges of this caliber were supplied from the US, Finland and Australia.
After Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, Western countries rolled out a massive sanctions campaign against Moscow. Sanctions, particularly restrictions on new technology, have pushed Russian manufacturers to accelerate import substitution.
According to data of Russian statistical agency Rosstat, in 2022, an increase in production was registered in various domestically oriented businesses, including the production of drugs and medical equipment. The growth amounted to 8.6% in comparison with 2021.