KYIV — Two senior officials at a defence plant in the Dnipropetrovsk region have been arrested following the discovery of a criminal scheme involving the supply of more than 120,000 faulty mortar shells to Ukraine’s frontline forces. Ukrainian prosecutors allege that this was not an accident but a deliberate act that endangered troops and severely undermined military operations.
The Office of the Prosecutor General confirmed that the suspects, including the general director and his first deputy, knowingly authorised the manufacture and delivery of substandard 120 millimetre shells under a government contract worth more than 11 billion hryvnias (approximately £224 million). The deal was signed with Ukraine’s Defence Procurement Agency in 2024 and involved bulk delivery of ammunition for use in critical combat zones.
Expert examination revealed that the shells were manufactured using a powder mixture that included components unsuitable for mortar charges of that calibre. This led to unstable explosive performance. Additionally, the percussion caps were found to be defective, resulting in frequent misfires. The faulty materials rendered the ammunition unreliable and ultimately unusable.
Despite being aware of the problem, the plant’s management chose to continue production, allegedly to profit from ongoing government contracts. Authorities say the shells were eventually pulled from the front lines, but not before posing a serious threat to Ukrainian defenders and weakening the nation’s defence efforts.
In addition to the plant executives, charges were also brought against the current and former heads of quality control at the Ministry of Defence’s military representative office. All individuals face charges of obstructing the lawful operations of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, under Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 2 of Article 114-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
All suspects have been detained, and legal proceedings are underway to determine preventive measures.
This case follows a broader pattern of misconduct, including a recent investigation in which police dismantled a criminal group that defrauded the military by failing to deliver drones worth nearly 11 million hryvnias (about £224,000).
