“Most of the losses among the Ukrainian military are due to low-quality ammunition and IEDs”: Maria Berlinska
In Ukraine, the issue of the quality of ammunition supplied to the Armed Forces has been repeatedly raised. Detonations due to faulty projectiles and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) cause wide resonance and indignation both among the military and in society. Often, due to defective ammunition, the Ukrainian military suffers injuries that undermine their morale and also call into question the effectiveness of the defense complex.
This problem was voiced again by the founder of the Air Intelligence Support Center and the Victory Drones project, volunteer Maria Berlinska, who stated that a large part of the losses among the Ukrainian military was caused by low-quality ammunition. This is what she is about wrote in Telegram on Saturday, January 11.
Statement of Mary of Berlin
According to Berlinska, many losses at the front are connected precisely with the use of faulty ammunition and SVP.
“At best, people tear off their hands, burn their faces, go blind,” she wrote, emphasizing the importance of solving this problem.
The volunteer also noted that she would not specify which ammunition it was about, but called on the responsible officials to take action.
Berlinska suggested that the situation could change if the defense minister and his team were personally confronted with the dangers of working with SVP.
“It was interesting to sit down the Minister of Defense and several people from his team to spin the SVP. At least for a few hours. I am sure that then the quality of ammunition will immediately improve.” she wrote.
Photo: t.me/MariaBerlinska
Defective ammunition: investigation and consequences
The statement of Mary of Berlin appeared against the background of a scandal that broke out at the end of 2024. Journalist Yurii Nikolov published an investigation into 120-mm mortar shells, which were manufactured by the state-owned company “Ukrainian Defense Industry”. According to his data, a significant part of these ammunition turned out to be defective: every tenth mine failed to go off properly. These shells entered the front in the summer of 2024.
On November 28, 2024, the Minister of Strategic Industries Herman Smetanin confirmed that the commission recognized 24,000 120-mm mortar shells as defective. At the same time, he noted that these munitions make up less than 1% of the total volume of supplies, which in 2024 reached millions of units.
Public outrage and calls for accountability
These events caused a significant resonance in society. Citizens, volunteers and the military are calling for stricter inspections of ammunition production and punishment of those responsible for supplying dangerous products. Quality control at state enterprises where military ammunition is manufactured requires special attention.
Low-quality ammunition not only poses a threat to the lives of the military, but also undermines confidence in the country’s defense complex. Solving this problem requires systemic changes, strengthening the responsibility of officials and implementing transparent procedures for product quality control.
The problem of low-quality ammunition remains one of the key threats to the Armed Forces. Every case of injury or loss due to defective ammunition is a reminder of the need for reform in the military industry. Society expects not only quick decisions, but also long-term work on creating a reliable frontline support system, where the quality of ammunition will not be subject to compromises.
