Ukraine begins industrial production of large caliber ammunition
On Thursday, August 9, the industrial production of large caliber artillery shells was launched at the Artem plant in Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksandr Turchynov, Minister of Defense Stepan Poltorak and First Vice Prime Minister Stepan Kubiv all took part in the opening ceremony of the new production line.
"Before the war, in 2012 to 2013, munitions disposal was an issue and, unfortunately, the war disposed of everything very quickly,” Poroshenko stated at the ceremony. "Someone wanted to bring Ukraine to its knees. That is why we could not buy ammunitions from abroad, though now we can. The plant in Luhansk was taken, equipment was taken away to the Russian Federation, stolen, looted and exploded.”
According to Poroshenko, 152-mm shells became the scarcest in the Ukrainian army, but their production could not be mastered quickly. Finally, in November 2017, Secretary Turchynov stated that Ukraine planned to organize the series production of 152-mm shells, mines for new 60-mm mortars and grenades for automatic, mounted, grenade launchers.
In March 2018, the successful firing tests by state-owned concern Ukroboronprom paved the way for the production of new 152 caliber ammunition. The new high-explosive fragmentation shell is designed to defeat personnel, artillery and fortifications and facilities. It can be fired from one of the most far-reaching, long-range artillery systems, the Giatsint.
The Artem plant and other Ukroboronprom enterprises specializing in the creation of initiative agents, explosives and gunpowder are all involved in the production of the new shell.