The Ukrainian Army has been forced to dispense with 100,000 mortar shellsa vital weapon in its war against Russia, after confirming that several complete consignments of this weaponry were defective. The projectiles, as numerous military units from the front have reported, did not explode or did not reach their targets.
An interdepartmental commission has been investigating the supply of defective 120mm mortar shells to Ukrainian forces after videos shared from the front and reports from several independent media showed that this material was in poor condition.
The Defense Ministry said it had withdrawn the batches of ammunition in question and would instead provide Ukrainian forces with imported shells, The Kyiv Independent reported.
The independent media outlet Dzerkalo Tyzhnia reported in its investigation that there are 100,000 projectiles that They were to be used during the next six months, causing delays before imported shells arrive.
Artillery and mortar shells are crucial elements on the frontas Ukraine struggles to match the better-equipped Russian forces.
According to Dzerkalo Tyzhnia, the supply of the projectiles in question was the result of an agreement between the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Strategic Industries to buy ammunition from a national producer and thus reduce dependence on foreign supplies.
The outlet did not mention the name of the factory responsible for manufacturing the projectiles, but said it was part of the state defense conglomerate Ukroboronprom and was often the target of Russian attacks.
The media investigation highlighted the MoD’s alleged inadequate quality control process. Warnings from some officials about the plant’s ability to produce detonators for the projectiles “disappeared” during the process, and military officials did not report initial problems with the projectiles that appeared in September.
In its statement, the Ministry of Defense highlighted that the Ministry of Strategic Industries was responsible for the execution of the order. The preliminary conclusions indicated as possible causes the poor quality of loads and poor storage conditions.
The State Bureau of Investigation has launched a criminal investigation and “appropriate decisions will be made regarding the responsible officials,” the statement said. The ministry promised new measures to improve quality control and the inspection process at all stages, according to The Kyiv Independent.
Ukraine’s defense sector has been hit by several major procurement scandals throughout the large-scale war.