Ukraine’s shell factories outpace state orders, arms company chief says: Kyiv spent five months buying from them this year, leaving six to produce
Private plants were built under Russian fire with no state investment, says the head of Ukrainian defense maker Ukrainian Armor
Ukraine has developed an artillery-ammunition industry that now outpaces the state's budgeted orders, according to a Ukrainian Armor chief executive. Despite the impressive growth, the main challenge lies in the unpredictability of state orders, with private firms having to build and operate these plants themselves. The current situation is paradoxical: while Ukraine is now producing more shells than it can purchase through state orders, there is still capacity to export an equal amount.
Ukrainian Armor CEO Vladyslav Belbas highlights that Ukraine has transitioned from relying on Western shell deliveries to becoming self-sufficient in ammunition production. The private manufacturers, who have invested their own funds, are producing ammunition without state support and lack a clear picture of future state orders.
This uncertainty has led to a prolonged procurement process, with the current year's contract for artillery ammunition taking five months to finalize, leaving six months for production. Belbas emphasizes the importance of a stable and predictable state order for the manufacturers to operate efficiently and without interruptions.
The production pipeline faces additional challenges, as long-range ammunition is being actively contracted, and foreign deliveries are arriving, but special munitions, including cluster rounds, might pose supply issues by the end of the year.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
