Western sanctions ‘tougher than expected' – Russian central bank

FILE PHOTO: The Russian Central Bank head, Elvira Nabiullina
©Sputnik / Maksim Blinov

The Russian economy has demonstrated its sustainability and resilience by weathering an unprecedented barrage of Western sanctions defying even the worst expectations, the head of the Bank of Russia, Elvira Nabiullina told the State Duma on Wednesday.

The level of pressure Russia had to face last year was so high no one could have potentially predicted it or prepared for it beforehand, the central bank head believes. The Russian people and industries demonstrated remarkable adaptability in this new reality, she said.

“No one could have prepared for this insane onslaught of sanctions,” Nabiullina said, adding that external conditions for the Russian economy had been worse than “even the most pessimistic scenario.” The “balanced and unwavering policy” the Russian financial authorities have stuck to in previous years as well as “crisis management experience” are what helped the government react to developments effectively, she explained.

The central bank head particularly praised the work of the nation’s banks that kept the financial sector “stable” and provided the nation with the necessary financial resources. She also described the government support measures as “adequate and timely,” adding that they helped the economy to “weather the sanctions storm.”

Russia has faced unprecedented sanctions imposed by the US and its allies last year over Moscow’s decision to launch a military operation in neighboring Ukraine. The Russian financial system and banks, as well as the aviation and space industries were among the first to be impacted.

The US and the EU have introduced a total of ten rounds of sanctions over roughly a year while the conflict between Moscow and Kiev has raged. In December, the EU, along with the G7 countries and Australia, introduced a price cap on Russian seaborne oil, set at $60 per barrel.

Many Western officials and media outlets predicted that the Russian economy would collapse under the pressure of sanctions and military expenditures, only to admit later that Moscow has managed to defy the doom and gloom forecasts.

Last August, Bloomberg and the Washington Post reported that the sanctions had failed to bring about the economic collapse that Western leaders had hoped for. In December 2022, President Putin said that Russia was outperforming many of the G20 nations despite sanctions.

In April, the World Bank admitted that the Russian economy was doing considerably better than expected. It changed its Russian GDP forecast by saying that it would likely fall by mere 0.2% in 2023 – up from the 3.3% contraction forecast in its January outlook.

Russia’s economy minister was even more optimistic in his April forecast, saying the nation’s GDP is expected to grow 2.8% by 2026.

US Economy Faces 'Stagflation' Thanks to Federal Reserve Interest Rate Hikes

The share collapse of retailer Bed Bath & Beyond is just the latest financial shock to hit the US in recent months. Todd “Bubba” Horwitz, chief market strategist at BubbaTrading.com, and David Tawil, founder of ProChain Capital, warned it was a sign of deeper problems.

The US is facing 'stagflation' thanks to interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve, with more banks and other firms facing ruin.

Hot on the heels of the fluidity crisis at Silicon Valley Bank, stock in 52-year-old homewares retailer Bed Bath & Beyond crashed from around £20 per share a year ago to just £0.34 on Tuesday, prompting fears of looming bankruptcy.

Todd 'Bubba' Horwitz warned Sputnik that "we're in for a very, very rough ride here."

The US is "on the verge of stagflation, which means nobody makes any money and nobody has any jobs," he stressed. "How are you going to eat?"

"Inflation is well out of control, no matter what they say. The Federal Reserve is out of control," Horwitz said, because "you don't raise rates into a recession." The stock trader recalled the last period of stagflation in the late 1970s, when Jimmy Carter was president.

"You had super high interest rates, you had a lack of employment and the people that were working weren't making enough money to survive," Horwitz said. Key producers like farmers "weren't making any money because they couldn't charge enough."

The interest rate rise will have a knock-on effect on business as smaller banks find it harder to borrow from higher up the chain to grant credit to small firms. "What we've seen in this country over the last two years, coincidentally through President Biden's term, is the destruction of small business, small banks and entrepreneurship and capitalism," Horwitz charged. "When the cost of money is higher, you end up in a in a much bigger problem. And that's exactly what they built us."

Smaller, regional banks will not get the same "bailout privilege" granted by the federal government to big financial institutions, he cautioned. "They're not too big to fail. So many of them will fail."

David Tawil also told Sputnik that it was getting harder for businesses to borrow, because "the cost of credit or debt is going higher" with interest rates.

"In addition, banks have been under assault recently because of everything that's happened with respect to Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank," Tawil added. "regional banks have seen deposit outflows, and so they don't have as much money as they once did to go ahead and make make loans."

The cryptocurrency expert put the Bed, Bath and Beyond crash down to "financial shenanigans," but noted that the firm was "once was the leader in its class" until it lost out to hypermarkets and online retail giants.

"This sector has been cannibalized... by Wal-Mart, Target on the bricks and mortar side and then on the e-commerce side by the likes of Amazon," Tawil said. "They've been getting beaten up by much bigger, much more well-capitalized businesses that were profitable for a long time."

Why is UK inflation so high?

Britain's unwanted status as the only large advanced economy still to have double-digit inflation represents just one symptom of the serious economic malaise faced by the country.

Annual consumer price inflation (CPI) in Britain fell to 10.1% last month but defied forecasts for a bigger drop from February's 10.4%, according to data published on Wednesday.

The figures underscored the risk that Britain suffers high inflation for longer than other similar economies due to its reliance on natural gas for heating and electricity and the structure of state subsidies to smooth out price changes.

The Bank of England worries that high inflation might cause a lasting increase in wage demands and business pricing strategies, exacerbated by a post-pandemic reduction in the labour force and trade and jobs market problems caused by Brexit.

Five pounds ($6.21) in Britain today will only go as far as four pounds did in 2019 - a rate of inflation unmatched by other Western European countries over the same period.

"Inflation in the UK has risen further and stayed higher than elsewhere as the UK has experienced the worst of both worlds: a big energy shock like the euro zone and labour shortages - even worse than the U.S.," said Ruth Gregory, deputy chief UK economist at consultancy Capital Economics.

The International Monetary Fund last week forecast British inflation would average 6.8% this year, the highest of any major advanced economy, but not much above Germany's 6.2% forecast.

Reuters Graphics Energy is a big part of the story.

British consumer energy prices were 79% higher in March than their level two years earlier, the biggest increase in western Europe.

"The overarching difference that stands out is one of timing of energy support. It's clear this is having a massive impact," said Sandra Horsfield, an economist at Investec.

Differing methods of measuring energy bills and the array of national subsidies to help households cope with surging prices after Russia's invasion of Ukraine have made comparisons more difficult, but economists say there is no doubt that Britain has been hit hard.

Britain's high rate of energy inflation reflects its heavy reliance on gas for power generation and home heating as well as the poor energy efficiency of its housing stock.

Nonetheless, energy inflation in Britain is likely to follow the euro zone and fall sharply from April as the surge in prices seen last year starts to drop out of the annual comparison.

But domestically generated price pressures are likely to slow the pace of decline in headline inflation.

Prices of consumer services - watched closely by central bankers as an indicator of home-grown price pressures, often from wages - rose by 6.6% in the year to March, with only Austria in western Europe posting a higher rate.

While Britain typically has higher services inflation than the euro zone, that wedge has grown wider in recent months - with economists pointing to the labour market as a culprit.

A rise in early retirement, long-term illness and migration trends have depleted the pool of workers, meaning the recovery of Britain's labour market from the pandemic is trailing that of international peers.

"Supply is weak because of Brexit and workforce sickness. We do not expect those chronic supply problems to ease in the near-term," Bank of America economist Robert Wood said in a research note.

LIVE UPDATES - Russian Assault Teams Liberate Three Areas in Artyomovsk

©Andrei Rubtsov/TASS

Russian assault teams liberated three areas in Artyomovsk over the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Wednesday.

"In the Donetsk direction, assault teams liberated three areas in the northwestern, central and southwestern parts of the city of Artyomovsk in the past 24 hours," the spokesman said.

Meanwhile, Russian Airborne Force units sealed off Artyomovsk from its northern and southern outskirts, the general said.

"Operational/tactical and army aviation aircraft and artillery of the southern battlegroup continued providing support to the assault teams," Konashenkov reported.

Russian forces thwart Kiev’s attempts to counter-attack assault teams in Artyomovsk

Russian forces thwarted the Ukrainian army’s attempts to counter-attack assault teams in Artyomovsk and some settlements in the Donetsk People’s Republic, he said.

"In the areas of the settlements of Stupochki and Krasnoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, and also in the northwestern and central parts of the city of Artyomovsk, the Ukrainian army’s attempts to counter-attack assault teams were thwarted. In the area of the settlement of Krasnogorovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army’s 68th mechanized brigade was obliterated," the spokesman said.

Russian forces neutralize two Ukrainian subversive groups in Kupyansk area

Russian forces struck Ukrainian army units in the Kupyansk area and neutralized two enemy subversive groups over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kupyansk direction, assault and army aviation aircraft, artillery and heavy flamethrower systems from the western battlegroup struck the enemy units in areas near the settlements of Novosyolovskoye in the Lugansk People’s Republic, Kotlyarovka, Zagoruikovka, Ivanovka and Pershotravnevoye in the Kharkov Region. The activity of two Ukrainian subversive/reconnaissance groups was thwarted," the spokesman said.

In the area of the settlement of Dvurechnaya, an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army’s 3rd tank brigade was obliterated and the enemy’s total losses in that direction during the last 24-hour period amounted to "over 120 Ukrainian personnel, a tank, two armored combat vehicles, two motor vehicles, and also a Grad multiple rocket launcher," the general reported.

Russian forces eliminate 75 Ukrainian troops in Krasny Liman area

Russian combat aircraft and artillery struck Ukrainian army units in the Krasny Liman area, eliminating roughly 75 enemy troops over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Krasny Liman direction, operational/tactical and army aviation and artillery of the battlegroup Center inflicted damage on the Ukrainian army units in areas near the settlements of Nevskoye and Chervonaya Dibrova in the Lugansk People’s Republic and Grigorovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

The enemy’s losses "totaled as many as 75 Ukrainian personnel, and also two armored combat vehicles," the general specified.

Russian forces destroy 380 Ukrainian troops in Donetsk advance

Russian forces destroyed roughly 380 Ukrainian troops in their advance in the Donetsk area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the past 24 hours, the enemy’s losses totaled as many as 380 Ukrainian personnel, a tank, two infantry fighting vehicles, five armored combat vehicles, eight motor vehicles, an Akatsiya self-propelled artillery gun, a D-20 howitzer and also a Grad multiple rocket launcher," the spokesman said.

Russian forces eliminate about 120 Ukrainian troops in southern Donetsk, Zaporozhye areas

Russian forces eliminated roughly 120 Ukrainian troops in the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye areas over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

In the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, operational/tactical and army aviation aircraft and artillery of the battlegroup East struck the enemy units in areas near the settlements of Ugledar and Pavlovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Chervonoye, Malaya Tokmachka and Kamenskoye in the Zaporozhye Region, the spokesman specified.

"The enemy’s losses in those areas in the past 24 hours amounted to 120 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles, two motor vehicles, and also a Msta-B howitzer," the general said.

Russian forces wipe out Ukrainian ammo depot in Kherson area

Russian forces destroyed an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army in the Kherson area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the area of the settlement of Zmiyevka in the Kherson Region, an ammunition depot of the 126th territorial defense brigade was destroyed," the spokesman said.

In the Kherson area, Russian forces also destroyed roughly 30 Ukrainian troops and a motorized artillery system, the general said.

"In the Kherson direction, as many as 30 Ukrainian personnel, two motor vehicles, a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery gun and a D-30 howitzer were destroyed in the past 24 hours as a result of damage inflicted by firepower," Konashenkov reported.

Russia’s Aerospace Forces down three Ukrainian warplanes in past day

Russia’s Aerospace Forces shot down three Ukrainian warplanes over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"Aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces shot down three Ukrainian Air Force planes in the past 24 hours. In particular, two Ukrainian MiG-29 planes were shot down near the settlements of Novoukrainka and Sergeyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic and a Ukrainian Su-25 plane was downed in the area of the settlement of Dolgenkoye in the Kharkov Region," the spokesman said.

Russian forces wipe out two Ukrainian subversive groups in DPR

Russian forces destroyed two Ukrainian subversive groups in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the areas of the settlements of Vladimirovka and Neskuchnoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, two Ukrainian subversive/reconnaissance groups were neutralized," the spokesman said.

Russian forces destroy Ukrainian army’s pontoon bridge in DPR

Russian forces destroyed a Ukrainian pontoon bridge across the Seversky Donets River in the Donetsk People’s Republic over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the area of the settlement of Seversk Maliy in the Donetsk People’s Republic, a pontoon bridge pulled by the Ukrainian army across the Seversky Donets River was destroyed. In the area of the settlement of Avdeyevka, a command/observation post belonging to a battalion of the Ukrainian army’s 110th mechanized brigade was struck," the spokesman said.

During the last 24-hour period, operational/tactical and army aviation, missile troops and artillery of the Russian group of forces struck 98 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and equipment in 133 areas, the general reported.

In the area of the settlement of Konstantinovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, a depot storing fuel for military hardware of the Ukrainian army’s 17th tank brigade was destroyed, Konashenkov added.

Russian air defenses down Ukrainian Su-25 ground attack plane over Ugledar

Russian air defense forces shot down a Ukrainian Su-25 ground attack plane over Ugledar in the Donetsk People’s Republic in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"Air defense capabilities shot down a Ukrainian Air Force Su-25 plane in the area of the settlement of Ugledar in the Donetsk People’s Republic. In addition, during the last 24-hour period, they intercepted four rockets of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and destroyed six Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Podo-Kalinovka in the Kherson Region, Komsomolskoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Novoyegorovka, Ilyinka and Chervonopopovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 411 Ukrainian warplanes, 228 helicopters, 3,776 unmanned aerial vehicles, 415 surface-to-air missile systems, 8,732 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,089 multiple rocket launchers, 4,619 field artillery guns and mortars and 9,617 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.

Sudan's ceasefire only lasts a few minutes

This is the sound of a 24-hour ceasefire in Sudan being shattered, just minutes after it came into effect.

The truce, agreed by the country's warring generals under U.S. pressure, was intended to provide some respite to civilians now living under the shadow of warplanes.

Instead, shortly after it was due to take hold at 6pm local time on Tuesday (April 18), tank fire and loud shooting could be heard in Khartoum.

Several witnesses reported a large ground army entering the capital from the east.

"We've not had any confirmation or indication that this is holding."

At a briefing shortly after the deadline, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric described fighting in Khartoum with jets, heavy artillery and small arms.

"It is creating a climate that is extremely dangerous for civilians and by definition, for our staff, humanitarian staff, diplomatic staff, and that's why we continue to engage with the parties in order to try to get a solid cessation of hostilities."

On Tuesday the U.N.'s aid chief said they were receiving reports of "attacks and sexual violence against aid workers."

The World Food Programme suspended operations after three of its employees were killed.

The violence erupted on Saturday (April 15) out of a power struggle between Sudan's military leader and his deputy.

General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan heads a ruling council installed after a 2021 military coup and the 2019 ouster of longtime autocratic leader Omar al-Bashir.

General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, is his number two and also leads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Both sides, the army and the RSF, issued statements accusing each other of failing to respect the ceasefire.

The fighting has derailed a transition to civilian rule and triggered what the U.N. described as a humanitarian catastrophe, including the near collapse of the health system.

At least 185 people have been killed and many more injured.

The conflict between the military and the RSF has once again derailed Sudan’s transition to democratic rule after decades of dictatorship and civil war.

A popular uprising four years ago helped depose long-time autocrat Omar Al-Bashir, but Burhan and Dagalo allied to carry out a 2021 coup. Both generals have a long history of human rights abuses, and their forces have cracked down on pro-democracy activists.

Under international pressure, Burhan and Dagalo recently agreed to a framework agreement with political parties and pro-democracy groups. But the signing was repeatedly delayed as tensions rose over the integration of the RSF into the armed forces and the future chain of command — tensions that exploded into violence Saturday.

Why Sudan’s transition from military rule to civilian-led democracy may have been doomed from the start

With at least 185 people killed during clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in recent days, the dreams of shift from military rule to civilian-led democracy have turned to dust, revealing that the transition plan was likely doomed from the start.

It is a far cry from the events of 2019, when the very forces now fighting one another worked together to oust the country’s autocratic ruler, Omar Al-Bashir. Analysts at that time described Sudan’s nascent transition to civilian-led democracy as a “glimmer of hope.”

“Most people are ignoring the ways in which the constitutional declaration of August 2019 set in place an unsustainable tension between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces, both of which were recognized as official armed forces of Sudan,” Eric Reeves, an academic with more than 25 years of experience researching the country, told Arab News

Combo image showing Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan (left) greeting a crowd in Khartoum's twin city of Omdurman on June 29, 2019 and RSF chief Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo greeting his supporters in Aprag village outside of Khartoum on June 22, 2019. (AFP & Reuters)

Now at loggerheads, Gen. Fattah Al-Burhan, head of the Armed Forces, leads the country’s transitional governing Sovereign Council, while his former deputy, Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commonly known as Hemedti, leads the RSF.

“The problem with this is you can’t have two armies and two competing generals in one desperate country and expect this (peaceful transition), especially with so many unhappy civilians who experienced catastrophic decline in the economy, who are suffering from a great deal of malnutrition and unemployment, and the list goes on,” said Reeves

Who Is Battling for Control and Why It Matters

The clashes have pitted a paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces against the Sudanese Army, reflecting a longstanding rivalry between Sudan’s two top generals who have been vying for dominance.

The eruption of violence on Saturday in Sudan’s capital and other parts of the country has dashed hopes that civilians could soon take leadership of a democratic government, the goal of mass protests four years ago. In 2019, Sudanese protesters and the military toppled the country’s authoritarian leader, President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, offering hope to similar movements in Africa and the Arab world.

After Mr. al-Bashir’s rule ended, the military signed a power-sharing agreement, but then took over with a coup in 2021. One of Africa’s largest countries, where the United States and its allies have tried to aid a transition to civilian control, is now reeling from a new crisis that many fear could become full-blown civil war.

Where is the fighting?

Most of the fighting appears to be taking place in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, but there have been clashes reported across the vast country — Africa’s third-largest by area, with more than 45 million people.

The civilian death toll from the fighting rose to at least 180 on Monday, with more than 1,800 civilians and combatants injured, according to Volker Perthes, the United Nations envoy to Sudan.

In Khartoum, the fighting has left many people stranded at home without electricity or water, and doctors and hospitals say they are struggling to cope. Fighting has been reported near the presidential palace, and it was still not clear who — if anyone — was in control of the country.

Who are the rival generals?

The leader of one of the two main rival factions is Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, a powerful military commander who has for years been a de facto leader of Sudan.

Little known before 2019, General al-Burhan had been closely aligned with Sudan’s longtime ruler, Mr. al-Bashir, and rose to power in the tumultuous aftermath of the popular uprisings that led to the ousting of Mr. al-Bashir.

Supreme Court urges Muslims in Saudi Arabia to look for Eid crescent moon on Thursday

The Supreme Court has called on all Muslims across Saudi Arabia to look for the Eid crescent on Thursday evening. (File/SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday called on Muslims across the Kingdom to sight the crescent moon on Thursday, April 20.

Anyone who sights the crescent moon with their eyes or through binoculars should report the sighting to the nearest court and register their testimony, the court said.

If the crescent moon of Shawwal, the month after Ramadan, is spotted on Thursday evening, Eid will fall on Friday.

If there is no sighting of the Shawwal crescent moon on Thursday evening, Ramadan will last for 30 days and Eid will fall on Saturday.

The sighting of this moon will mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan, and the start of Eid Al Fitr.

Arab Saudi diperkirakan akan merayakan Idul Fitri pada Jumat, 21 April.

Arab Saudi akan melihat bulan sabit untuk Idul Fitri 2023, menandai akhir Ramadhan pada Kamis, 20 April.

The Abu Dhabi-based International Astronomy Centre (IAC) is expecting Eid Al Fitr to fall on Saturday — which could give residents a five-day long weekend.

In a statement, the IAC said sighting the crescent on Thursday may not be possible in most countries of the Arab and Islamic world, except for parts of West Africa starting from Libya. "But spotting remains very difficult and requires a precise telescope, professional monitoring and exceptional weather conditions," it said.

The IAC, however, clarified that its prediction is based on astronomical information. The exact date shall be confirmed only by the authorities based on the sighting of the new moon.

The United Arab Emirates has asked all Muslims in the country to search for the Shawwal crescent moon on Thursday evening that is April 20, 2023. The date corresponds with Ramadan day 29 (1444 AH) in the Islamic calendar.

The sighting of the Shawwal moon would mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid Al Fitr.

As per the Emirates News Agency (WAM), the moon sighting committee has requested Muslims to watch for the crescent moon on Thursday.

Moon-sighting committee asks Muslims to watch for crescent of Shawwal on Thursday #WamNews https://t.co/EJc2hey13o

— WAM English (@WAMNEWS_ENG) April 18, 2023

Similarly, Saudi Arabia has also called on all Muslims to look out for the crescent moon on Thursday night.

According to Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the Supreme Court has urged the sighting of the Shawwal crescent on Thursday evening.

Supreme Court Urges Sighting Shawwal Crescent Thursday Eveninghttps://t.co/CpxOij2dTw#SPAGOV

— SPAENG (@Spa_Eng) April 18, 2023

The Supreme Court of Saudi announced that whoever sights the crescent moon, be it with the naked eye or with the help of binoculars is urged to report it to the nearest court and register a testimony.

So, if the crescent moon is spotted on Thursday, April 20, 2023, Eid Al Fitr will be celebrated on Friday, April 21, 2023. But if the Shawwal crescent is not sighted, then Saturday, April 22, 2023, will be the start of the Eid Al Fitr celebrations.

Residents in the United Arab Emirates will get a four-day or a five-day holiday break depending on the Moon sighting.

Rocket Motor Shortage Curbs Weapons for Ukraine - WSJ

An American M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) firing during the joint exercises in Capas, Philippines, October 13, 2022 © AFP / Jam Sta Rosa

American arms manufacturers are struggling to obtain enough rocket motors to build missiles for Ukrainian forces, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. With multiple contractors relying on a single supplier, production targets have already been pushed back.

In a quarterly earnings report released on Tuesday, Lockheed Martin said that although its overall sales rose from a year earlier, sales of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) fell due to a “lower volume” leaving its factories.

Supply-chain snarls are still hindering efforts by weapons makers to produce more arms for Ukraine and refill stocks for the U.S. and its allies.

Lockheed Martin Corp. LMT -0.79%decrease; red down pointing triangle said Tuesday that sales of its long-range missiles known as the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System, or GMLRS, fell in the latest quarter from a year ago. The U.S. has shipped hundreds to Ukraine, where they have been widely used against invading Russian forces.

GMLRS projectiles are artillery rockets, and are fired from Lockheed Martin’s M142 HIMARS platform. According to the most recent Pentagon figures, the US has given Ukraine 38 HIMARS platforms, and while the Defense Department does not disclose how many GMLRS projectiles have been sent to Kiev, a Reuters investigation put the figure at over 5,000 last November, more than the 4,600 Lockheed Martin can make in a year.

Lockheed Martin also uses solid-fuel rocket motors in its Javelin anti-tank missiles, of which more than 8,500 have been sent to Ukraine over the last year.

During a visit by President Joe Biden to the company’s Javelin manufacturing facility in Alabama last May, CEO Jim Taiclet vowed to double production of the shoulder-fired missiles by 2024. However, the company and the Pentagon told the Wall Street Journal that the date has since been pushed back to 2026.

“We thought we could get there earlier,” Lockheed Martin’s Chief Financial Officer, Jay Malave, told the paper.

US missile makers like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies source their rocket motors from a single supplier, Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings. However, although the Pentagon awarded Aerojet a $216 million contract last week to boost production, it said it was still recovering from a fire at one of its factories last year, while the sale of the company to aerospace giant L3Harris Technologies is still being scrutinized by antitrust authorities.

While rocket artillery and guided missile production are apparently hindered, Ukraine is also grappling with a shortage of conventional artillery rounds. Leaked Pentagon documents recently suggested that the shortfall is delaying a planned spring offensive by Kiev’s forces, while the US is reportedly looking to its allies to replenish its depleted stockpiles.

Russia has repeatedly warned that the influx of Western weapons will only prolong the conflict in Ukraine. The West’s involvement “is rising gradually,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier this month, adding that the West’s support for Kiev “cannot influence the final outcome of the special operation.”

Fire kills more than two dozen patients in Beijing hospital

People look at a building with damaged windows following a fire at Beijing's Changfeng Hospital. © Reuters

The death toll rose to 29 on Wednesday from a fire at a Beijing hospital that was one of the Chinese capital’s deadliest in at least two decades, killing 26 patients and wounding dozens.

A fire at a Beijing hospital on Tuesday (April 18) has left more than two dozen dead, making it the Chinese capital's deadliest blaze in at least two decades.

Dramatic videos were posted on social media of people using tied bed sheets to escape the smoke and flames engulfing Changfeng Hospital.

The majority of those who died were patients, with the fire having been put out in half an hour, officials told a media briefing.

Early on Wednesday, many of those injured were still in hospital, with some in a serious or critical condition, officials said.

Adding that initial findings showed the fire was caused by inflammable painting material at a ward under renovation, mostly impacting a wing for critically ill patients.

By Wednesday, Reuters found many posts criticizing the fire on social media site WeChat had been either censored or deleted.

Authorities are investigating Beijing's deadliest fire since at least 2002, when a blaze at an internet cafe killed 25.

Social media showed dramatic videos of people using tied bed sheets to climb down the walls to escape smoke and flames after the fire broke out at Changfeng Hospital on Tuesday.

Broken and burned out windows could be seen at the site, where there were many police officers, some in plain clothes, Reuters witnesses said.

All but three of the 29 dead were patients, officials told a media briefing on Wednesday, with the fire having been put out in half an hour.

“There was a lot of smoke, I could see it,” said an elderly local resident who gave only his surname, Li. He gave Reuters video clips he took of smoke billowing from the upper floors of the hospital.

Authorities are investigating Beijing’s deadliest fire since at least 2002, when a blaze at an internet cafe killed 25.

Initial checks showed the fire, which mostly affected a wing for critically ill patients, was caused by inflammable painting material at a ward under renovation, the officials said.

By Wednesday, many social media posts critical about the fire on WeChat had been either censored or deleted, Reuters checks showed.

“Rescue work at the scene concluded in 3-1/2 hours, but the public only knew that 21 had died from the fire when it was already past eight in the evening,” one person wrote in a WeChat post subsequently deleted.

“It is very puzzling that little information was known about a fire killing 21 people in a densely populated major city like Beijing before the official notification.”

Early on Wednesday, 39 injured were still in hospital, three in critical condition, and 18 serious, the officials told the briefing.