Russian Private Arms Factory Asks For Gov't Support Amid COVID-19 Epidemic - Manufacturer

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th April, 2020) Russian private arms company ORSIS, which is suffering serious losses due to the coronavirus outbreak, has requested the Moscow Mayor's Office and the Russian government to waive taxes and provide soft loans for the period of self-isolation, Vladimir Zlobin, the company's general director, told Sputnik.

One of the manufacturer's major developments is the Precision sniper weapon system based on the T-5000 rifle, a breakthrough weapon that meets all modern demands. The rifle is intended as a weapon for counterterrorism and specialized sniper military units, including the Precision project.

"Coronavirus has a very negative effect on the small arms industry. Clients are suspending testing and procurement activities, revenues are dropping by hundreds of times in percentage terms. To 'survive' in this situation, we have appealed to the Russian government and Moscow Mayor's office asking for tax suspension for the period of self-isolation and assistance in obtaining soft loans," Zlobin said.

The ORSIS general director noted that all private enterprises of the Russian small arms industry are now facing the same problem, adding that the worst stagnation in the domestic small arms market in its history is yet to come in light of the current COVID-19 situation.