Russia's share in arms imports 2019-2023, by country

Russia is the main supplier of major arms to India, China, Algeria, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, and Belarus. Notably, Russia accounted for 100 percent of the weapon imports of Belarus and 94 percent of Kazakhstan’s between 2019 and 2023. Russia inherited its arms manufacturing sector from the Soviet Union, for which weapons were one of the major export categories.

To which markets does Russia export weapons?

Throughout 2023, India, China, and Belarus were the top recipients of major arms from Russia. India accounted for roughly one-third of Russia’s arms exports from 2019 to 2023. However, Russia’s export volumes to these and some other countries were lower than in the previous year. The decrease in supplies to India was facilitated by the country’s government’s initiatives to strengthen public defense manufacturing capabilities, which resulted in the recent years’ output growth.

Russia's role in global arms exports

From 2019 to 2023, Russia's share in global arms exports decreased to 11 percent. This represents a decline from the previous decade, when Russia accounted for over a quarter of weapon exports. The decrease accelerated during the Russia-Ukraine war that began in February 2022. Nevertheless, Russia ranked among the leading arms exporters worldwide, with its portion in weapon shipments worldwide only falling behind those of the United States and France.