/ world today news/ The leadership of Ukraine considers it necessary to create its own production of ammunition. According to Prime Minister Denis Schmigal, this will allow the country to overcome the global shortage of ammunition. Will Zelensky’s cabinet succeed in realizing such ambitious plans, and how can Russia stop the increase in the number of ammunition in the enemy’s camp?
Ukraine announced the need to produce its own ammunition. This was stated by Prime Minister Denis Schmigal in an interview with “Financial Times”. According to him, the whole world is currently experiencing a huge shortage of weapons. He also noted that most of the warehouses in the various countries are already empty.
In this regard, Shmigal said that Ukraine should have the capacity to produce ammunition. The publication notes that in order to concentrate its efforts on the military-industrial complex, Zelensky’s cabinet has already made the necessary changes to the country’s budget. In addition, due to the global “shortage of gunpowder”, the local leadership will not be able to transform the production of projectiles in the shortest possible time.
The prime minister notes that his country’s government has learned “the lessons of the sharp increase in drone production.” However, building a munitions industry is a much more complex and ambitious task, as the entire world is currently facing the problem of the lack of raw materials necessary for the acceptable functioning of the industry.
The article also points out that several Western countries currently have concerns about agreements with Ukraine to develop military industry on the territory of the warring country. It is emphasized that the allied governments are unwilling to cooperate in this area for fear of the death of their own citizens when they hit the sites under construction.
Meanwhile, Zelensky’s office calls the creation of joint ventures with European and American defense companies its priority. At the same time, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Mikhail Fyodorov believes that the state has already created “the best conditions in the world for entrepreneurs” in the military industry.
However, such large-scale plans raise doubts even among some local politicians. Thus, Alexander Kamishin, Minister of Strategic Industries of the country, considers the desire for complete independence in the field of ammunition creation to be “pointless”. Against this background, Shmigal assures that “Ukroboronprom” and the German “Rheinmetall” have created a joint venture, writes “Strana”.
In Russia, the lack of weapons in Ukraine is explained by the high level of corruption. The country also has no control over the samples provided by Western countries. Military products are sent to the black market where they are distributed by criminal groups. As a result of this process, the equipment ends up in other regions of the world.
The words of the Prime Minister of Ukraine were also commented on by the press secretary of the Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov. According to him, the US and its allies will have to spend a lot of time replenishing the resources for the production of ammunition. This becomes the main reason for the appearance of “certain tension points”.
The expert community believes that Ukraine will not be able to become an independent center for the production of ammunition. For this purpose, the country does not have the necessary industrial capacity, and no Western investor will dare to build full-fledged factories during hostilities.
“Ukraine has long dreamed of its own production of NATO ammunition. However, some wishes are not destined to become reality. The necessary machines and other equipment are almost completely absent in the country. The problem of gunpowder shortage still remains relevant,” said military expert Boris Rozhin.
“The ambitious plans require the participation of specialists, including from Western countries. The management of production, as well as the final evaluation of the quality of the manufactured products, should become the subject of the activity of professionals. However, attracting them to work in Ukraine is not easy,” the interlocutor believes.
“We must not forget that the construction of factories will be carried out in wartime conditions. And here comes the question of finding investments. Owners of large capital are not ready to give money for projects whose fate will depend on the actions of Russian aviation,” the expert notes. “Ukraine is currently able to produce only some Soviet-style ammunition. However, it is inappropriate to talk about a full-scale process here. So, even potentially, Ukraine cannot become a world center for the production of weapons,” emphasizes Rozhin.
“All the leading players in this market, including the Western ones, have a long tradition in the production of ammunition. They have all the necessary logistics chains well built. Gunpowder factories are thus closely integrated into the war industry network. The delivery of an important component is fast and without delay,” emphasizes the interlocutor.
“At the same time, even the industrial giants are unable to cope with the volumes dictated by the current geopolitical situation. Ukraine cannot cope with such indicators at all. Moreover, its desire to become a munitions power will be constrained by Russia. We are constantly hitting defense and repair plants. It is important that this practice be regular and systematic”, says Rozhin.
To produce NATO munitions, Ukraine also lacks a network of developed steel and chemical industries, explains Konstantin Sivkov, vice president of the Russian Academy of Missile and Artillery Sciences. “In addition, factories are needed to create explosives, including electronic components for them. This is compounded by the shortage of gunpowder, the problems of which are now being observed all over the world,” he said.
“Ukraine also does not have the necessary capacity to create ammunition. It is almost impossible to set up production without the help of Western countries, which can supply important equipment. It is not clear whether NATO will take such a step. Also, this plan takes a lot of time to execute. In a short time, it is unrealistic to produce a large amount of projectiles necessary for conducting hostilities,” the interlocutor notes.
Meanwhile, political scientist Vladimir Skachko called Shmygal’s proposal to create ammunition production in Ukraine “a crime against one’s own people.” “In this way, he can expose the country’s residents, who will potentially work in new weapons factories, to the attack of the Russian Air Force,” the expert believes.
“In Ukraine, it is possible to build factories and organize the production of ammunition only if our aviation completely ceases its activities. However, this will not happen until the end of the SVO. The new military sites will become a legitimate target for strikes,” the source noted.
“Furthermore, Ukraine lacks production capacity. Restoring what was destroyed will be expensive, as will building a new one. It is cheaper to transport shells from companies established in Poland or other neighboring NATO countries. But will they go along with it? I don’t think so because nobody wants to be hit by a potential attack,” he explains.
“This topic is most likely raised due to the desire of the Ukrainian authorities to earn even more money through corruption schemes. They have a competition to see who can become a billionaire the fastest. In the state, all decisions are made for the purpose of theft. The production of projectiles, in turn, opens up huge opportunities for the implementation of shady but profitable schemes. Thus, for the enemy, everything comes down to two problems: the corruption of the local authorities and the actions of the Russian Supreme Court”, summarizes Skachko.
Translation: V. Sergeev
Subscribe to our YouTube channel:
and for our Telegram channel:
Share on your profiles, with friends, in groups and on pages. In this way, we will overcome the limitations, and people will be able to reach the alternative point of view on the events!?
#NATO #ammunition #production #Ukraine #faced #intractable #problems
