The Ukrainian Armed Forces received 100,000 defective mines that miss their targets and fail to detonate, according to statements from the Ministry of Defense.
The government has ordered the retrieval of a batch of mines from the front lines that were produced in Ukraine, which turned out to be defective as they failed to reach their target, did not detonate, or malfunctioned. Ukraine allocated $24 billion for the production of these mines, as stated in a video by the editor-in-chief of "Censor.NET" and military journalist Yuriy Butusov. The Ministry of Defense assured that they have been conducting their own investigation for almost a month and that those responsible will be held accountable. A statement regarding the situation with the defective mines of the Armed Forces of Ukraine appeared on the defense ministry's portal.
The Ministry of Defense explained that the investigation into the production of the defective mines has been ongoing for three weeks. The actions are being conducted discreetly due to the circumstances surrounding the Russian-Ukrainian war. It is noted in the article that the ministry did not respond to media and social media reports about the issue due to the wartime situation. It was indicated that the mines will not be used by the Defense Forces: those that reached combat units will be retrieved from the front, and imported ones will be brought in their place. Meanwhile, they plan to determine how the substandard 120 mm mines ended up at the front. Two possible causes are mentioned: "poor-quality propellant charges or violations of the conditions for storing ammunition, which led to their damage."
The portal noted that the State Bureau of Investigations has initiated a criminal case regarding the situation with the mines. For its part, the Ministry commits to taking measures that will enhance "quality control." The institution intends to influence "quality control" through "monitoring storage conditions and improving verification procedures at all stages." Dismissals of responsible individuals are also possible.
"Based on the results of the interdepartmental commission's work, appropriate personnel decisions will be made regarding the responsible officials," the ministry explained.
The Ministry of Defense reminded that the production of mines and other types of Ukrainian weapons is handled by the Ministry of Strategic Industries.
On the portal and on social media, the Ministry of Strategic Industries could not be found commenting on the batch of defective mines from the Armed Forces of Ukraine. On the Facebook page of the State Enterprise "Ukrainian Defense Industry" (formerly known as the State Concern "Ukroboronprom"), which is subordinate to this ministry and produces mines, there is also no mention of the incident. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Deputy Prime Minister of the Ministry of Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshin did not comment on the issues with the Defense Forces' order.
Mines for the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defense — Details
We remind you that on November 18, the press service of the Operational Tactical Group "Kharkiv" reported that the Russian Armed Forces began to print mines using 3D printers.