Sanctions hamper Russia's ability to make advanced weapons -NATO

STORY: “They are hampered more and more by the sanctions - because some of the components that they need for their weapons systems come from the Western industry," Rob Bauer, a Dutch Admiral who chairs NATO's Military Committee, said in an interview.

Both sides in the war are facing challenges because the conventional conflict has required expending military supplies at rates unseen in decades, said Bauer.

“As far as we know, the Russians still have a considerable industrial base and are able to produce a lot of ammunition. And they still have a lot of ammunition”, he added, speaking ahead of a two-day meeting of NATO defense chiefs starting in Estonia later on Friday.

The United States, the European Union, and other countries announced several packages of sanctions against Moscow after its February 24 invasion of Ukraine, which included a ban on the sale of advanced technology.