Ukrainian ammunition manufacturer to replace defective batches of 120mm shells

A Ukrainian ammunition manufacturer that supplied defective mortar shells to the military will replace the recalled batches with new shells.

Fedir Venislavsky, a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence, reported this in a commentary to Suspilne.

The MP confirmed that an interdepartmental commission consisting of representatives of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Strategy, and the Defense Industry had discovered a number of abnormal malfunctions of 120-mm mortar shells supplied by certain manufacturers to the security and defense sector.

“The commission found out the reasons. The relevant report of this commission was sent to the Committee on National Security and Development. I cannot disclose details, but in general, it was discovered that the main reasons are lower temperatures and high humidity. In dry weather conditions, these mines did not malfunction,” he explained.

According to Venislavsky, all the mines in the batch were recalled to the plant, and the manufacturer has committed to supplying new ones in the near future. They will undergo a thorough additional examination.

“I will not specify the number of mines. They are all from the batch that had an abnormal triggering. The number is classified information. The company is already fulfilling its obligations to replace them,” the MP emphasized.

At the same time, he emphasized that there are no systemic problems with ammunition, noting that it is a matter of individual batches, the problems with which started in November.

Defective ammunition

The MP mentioned only the factor of ammunition storage and the lowering of storage temperatures, which could lead to condensation in packages with powder charges.

At the same time, Ukrainian journalist Yuriy Butusov on his channel revealed the problems with the supplied ammunition in more detail, mentioning problems with the blasting charges and fuses that Venislavsky did not mention.

The defective batches of ammunition were equipped with fuses that often malfunctioned and did not detonate during the firing process, causing the mine to not fire. When triggered, due to poor fusing, the fuse left metal fragments in the barrel channel, making it impossible to fire the next shot.

In addition, a large number of shells were fitted from the factory with inappropriate B-429 fuses, which are designed for tank shots. Due to the specifics of their use, these fuses are detonated at higher speeds than a mortar shell. Because of this, even when fired, the mine does not explode upon impact.

In his report, Butusov stated that the Ministry of Defense seized over 100,000 mines produced by a Ukrainian defense company.