“The scandal involving the supply of defective mortar mines in Ukraine attracted international media attention and caused concern among Western allies. The anti-corruption center demands an investigation, because defective ammunition threatens not only the security of the military, but also the trust in Ukraine. The anti-corruption scandal in the defense sector of Ukraine has become the object of attention of leading Western media, such as the Washington Post and Politico. These […]”, — write: businessua.com.ua
The scandal involving the supply of defective mortar mines in Ukraine attracted international media attention and caused concern among Western allies. The anti-corruption center demands an investigation, because defective ammunition threatens not only the security of the military, but also the trust in Ukraine.
The anti-corruption scandal in the defense sector of Ukraine has become the object of attention of leading Western media, such as the Washington Post and Politico. These publications have a certain influence on the formation of the political agenda in the USA and Europe, and their publications cause special sensitivity among Kyiv’s international partners. Yuriy Nikolov, a journalist of the publication “Our Money”, noted: “When corruption in Ukraine is written in English, it triggers Western politicians in the same way as it does Donald Trump. It is dangerous to ignore such publications, because even one wrong purchase can destroy the trust of allies.”
The reason for the outcry was the appeal of the Anti-Corruption Center to the Security Service of Ukraine with the demand to investigate the supply of defective Ukrainian-made mortar mines. Activists accuse officials of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Strategic Industries and Ukroboronprom of knowingly allowing the delivery of defective ammunition to the Armed Forces. The petition states that such actions harmed the country’s defense capabilities and could be considered treason.
Daria Kaleniuk, executive director of the Anti-Corruption Center, said that the defects of the mines were so obvious that the responsible persons could not have missed them. “Officials responsible for quality control allowed the supply of defective ammunition. This is unacceptable during the war,” she stressed.
The Ministry of Defense acknowledged the problem, attributing the defects to “poor-quality powder charges or violation of storage conditions.” However, specific officials involved in the situation remain unknown, as well as the name of the manufacturer – this information, according to the department, is a matter of national security. The Minister of Strategic Industries Herman Smetanin stated that almost half of the batch of 54,000 mortar mines turned out to be defective. According to journalists’ estimates, the total number of defective mines may reach 100,000.
Vitaly Shabunin, chairman of the board of the Center, submitted another petition to NABU regarding the alleged overpayment of $90 million to a Polish company for weapons. “These are the two largest corruption schemes of 2024,” he noted.
Olena Tregub, head of the independent commission for monitoring corruption in the defense sector, called the situation with mortar mines “terrible and dangerous”. She emphasized that these munitions are urgently needed on the front lines. “We cannot afford such a luxury as defective weapons. It puts our military and our defense capabilities at risk,” she said.
The Ministry of Defense has assured that all defective projectiles will be replaced at the manufacturer’s expense, and quality control at production facilities has been strengthened.
“We must correct the situation and show that this will not happen again. The quality control of ammunition must be strengthened, because even one incorrect purchase can destroy trust,” said Maryna Bezrukova, director of the Defense Procurement Agency of the Ministry of Defense.
Ukraine has every chance to become a key arms exporter, but for this it is necessary to solve problems with corruption and ensure high production standards. A transparent investigation and punishment of the guilty are key steps to restoring the trust of both international partners and Ukrainian society.
Source: kp.ua