“Ukroboronprom” supplied the Ukrainian Armed Forces with defective mines that did not explode

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine is investigating the supply of defective 120mm mines to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

This was reported on the ministry’s Telegram channel.

Recently, military personnel from various front-line areas told journalists that they had received munitions from “Ukroboronprom” that fail to explode after firing, get stuck in the mortar barrel, or fall right next to it. The first complaints about the munitions started to arrive in early November. A huge number of these defective mines were supplied to the forces—journalists estimate at least 100,000.

After the public scandal, the Ministry of Defense stated that it had been conducting a closed investigation into the causes of the “abnormal wear” of these mines for three weeks and had halted their supply. Instead, imported mines will be provided to the military.

Preliminary results of the investigation suggest poor-quality gunpowder charges or violations in the storage conditions of the munitions, which led to their damage.

The State Bureau of Investigations of Ukraine has launched a criminal case. The Ministry of Defense is the customer of the supplies, and the Ministry for Strategic Industries (Minstrategprom) is the supplier.

Earlier, media reported that the Ministry of Defense purchased substandard food rations for the Ukrainian Armed Forces worth 430 million hryvnias (almost 10 million euros).

Journalists also discovered that the Ministry of Defense purchased jackets for the Armed Forces at three times the inflated price. Additionally, the winter jackets and trousers supplied to Ukrainian soldiers did not meet the technical requirements outlined in the contract.