The leaked emails contain direct evidence that Russian defense manufacturers can’t produce weapons without Western chips, nor can they be substituted with analogs.

A Russian strategist has argued that infantry weapons such as mortars and machine guns are obsolete. He said he believed drones would replace them, making infantry units smaller and lighter.

Russia's weapons exports have plummeted amid the Ukraine conflict. France overtook Russia last year as the second-largest arms exporter globally. Russian weapons makers face a range of challenges ...