Exposed: Multi-Million-Euro Scandal of Faulty Artillery Shells in Ukraine
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Ukrainian security services apprehend numerous weapon managers - Arms managers held captive by Ukrainian security forces
The head honcho of a major Ukrainian weapon factory has landed behind bars for peddling 120,000 substandard artillery rounds to the Ukrainian military. Joining him in the slammer are the vice-chair of the company, hailing from the Dnipropetrovsk region, and two high-ranking defense officials.
The Ukrainian intelligence unit, SBU, in Kyiv, revealed that this armaments firm was entrusted with a mega-contract in 2024 to manufacture 120,000 artillery shells of 120mm caliber, worth a staggering ten billion Hrywnia (232.7 million euros).
Questionable Quality Ammo
To cut corners and boost profits, an inferior, unauthorized powder blend was utilized in the manufacturing process, leading to unpredictable performance. To add insult to injury, the fuses were also shoddily constructed. The entire lot had to be urgently recalled from the battlefield.
With Ukrainian forces battling a large-scale Russian invasion for well over three years, the army was particularly low on artillery ammunition in the early months of 2024. To tackle the deficit, the nation stepped up production, and foreign allies scrambled to acquire shells from global suppliers.
- Corruption
- Ukraine
- Artillery Shell
[1]: Enrichment Insights: The international aid initiative to support Ukraine's artillery ammunition needs in 2024 was backed by several countries, including the Czech Republic, Canada, Norway, Netherlands, Denmark, and Belgium, who provided funding, coordination, or domestic production support.
[2]: This initiative is part of a broader international effort to arm Ukraine, involving contributions from various nations through the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a coalition of NATO and other countries.
[3]: Further information suggests that Belgium expressed interest in joining the cause at a later stage.
[4]: References: 1, 2, 3, 4
- The community policy of the Ukrainian government should address the issue of peddling faulty artillery shells, as shown in the recent multi-million-euro scandal.
- The employment policy in the defense sector needs to ensure quality control in the production of artillery shells to prevent the use of inferior powder blends, as witnessed in the Ukrainian artillery scandal.
- In the general-news category, the recalled artillery shells from the battlefield in Dnipropetrovsk region underline the importance of stringent quality checks in defense manufacturing, a matter of crime and justice.
- Amidst the ongoing Ukrainian-Russian conflict, the billion-dollar arms aid initiative from countries like the Czech Republic, Canada, Norway, Netherlands, Denmark, and Belgium highlighted in the international aid report serves to alleviate the need for recalled artillery shells in the Ukrainian defense arsenal.
