Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense investigates substandard mines at the front: first findings and actions
26 November 13:03
For three weeks now, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has been actively investigating the causes of the abnormal triggering of 120-mm mines, involving an interdepartmental commission. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Defense, Komersant ukrainskyi
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A few days ago, a video appeared on the Internet showing how 120-mm mines do not work for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Later, journalist Yuriy Butusov reported that, according to his information, more than 100,000 such mines from seven brigades were withdrawn from the front.
“Currently, the Ministry of Defense has suspended the use of these batches of ammunition in the Defense Forces, as well as their delivery to combat units, until the causes of the malfunction are determined. The batch of ammunition was seized for further investigation. Imported mines will be delivered instead.”
– the Ministry of Defense partially confirmed this information, without specifying the number of defective products.
Closed investigation format
The Ministry of Defense is working in a closed mode to maintain the confidentiality of information due to the ongoing Russian aggression. The Ministry emphasizes that the absence of public comments does not mean inaction or ignoring the problem.
The investigation is ongoing, and based on its results, it is planned to improve the processes of providing the Ukrainian military with ammunition of proper quality.
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Preliminary findings of the commission
“The preliminary results of the interagency commission’s investigation into the supply of low-quality 120-mm mortar shells indicate possible causes of defects, including poor quality powder charges or violations of ammunition storage conditions, which led to their damage,”
– the Defense Ministry said.
The Ministry of Defense emphasized that it is the customer of the ammunition, while the Ministry of Strategic Industries is responsible for fulfilling the state order. Upon completion of the investigation, appropriate personnel decisions are expected to be made regarding the officials.
Strengthening quality control
To prevent similar incidents, the Ministry of Defense plans to improve quality control of ammunition. This includes:
- enhanced monitoring of storage conditions;
- improving inspection procedures at all stages – from production to delivery to the front line;
- inspection of mines of other calibers to ensure compliance with standards.
