Report: Ukraine war ups arms sales but challenges lie ahead

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Global arms sales have grown by nearly 2%, chiefly because of the war in Ukraine. But the conflict may also hamper production, not least because Russia is a major supplier of raw materials used in arms production. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said Monday that this means that efforts to strengthen the countries’ armed forces and to replenish their stockpiles after sending billions of dollars’ worth of ammunition and other equipment to Ukraine may be hampered. Some reports indicate that Russian companies are increasing production because of the war but may also have had difficulty in accessing semiconductors and are also being impacted by war-related sanctions.