Russia appears to be trying to rely on weapons from its allies Belarus, Iran, and North Korea as its forces run short in the midst of counteroffensives by Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting on Wednesday on the needs of Russia's armed forces.

Putin said, "For every item of gear or equipment, we must listen to those who use them and understand how these items perform and whether they are fit for their intended purpose." He also said weapons "need constant and uninterrupted upgrades and improvements to remain effective."

Some people in Russia have criticized the Russian military's equipment as insufficient in quantity, old, and unusable.

The British defense ministry said on Thursday that the Russian military lost more than 40 armored vehicles a day in the middle of last month due to Ukraine's counteroffensives.

It noted that Russia may have acquired at least 100 tanks from Belarus in recent weeks, is suffering from a shortage of weapons, and is relying on its ally Belarus.

Russia is also believed to be using Iranian-made attack drones.

A US think tank, the Institute for the Study of War, says Iran plans to send more drones and new ballistic missile systems. It said on Tuesday that Russia "will likely further increase Russian reliance on Iranian-made weapons systems."

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has been trying to strengthen ties with Iran. He spoke with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, by telephone on Wednesday. But the two countries deny any military cooperation in Ukraine over weapons.

White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said on Wednesday that North Korea is attempting to obscure its shipments by funneling artillery shells thorough countries in the Middle East and North Africa. He said the US is going to monitor whether the shipments are received.

North Korean side has denied the allegations.