The state-owned company “Spetstechnoexport”, which until recently was subordinate to the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, found itself at the center of a scandal due to possible delays in the supply of weapons and overestimation of their cost. About this are reported journalists of Ukrainian Pravda in their investigation.
According to investigators, a significant number of large defense contracts are not completed on time, forcing Ukraine to file lawsuits against its own suppliers, wasting resources and time. Such a situation has a critical impact on the efficiency of obtaining weapons, which are vital for ensuring the country’s defense capability.
One of the key points highlighted in the investigation is that arms prices are often inflated several times. At the same time, control over pricing remains insufficient, which allows companies involved in special import purchases to work with minimal supervision by state authorities.
Ukrainian Pravda has obtained a letter from the head of “Spetstechnoexport” Oleksiy Petrov, addressed to the Deputy Minister of Defense. In it, Petrov claims that the reason for the non-fulfillment of contracts is the unreliability of foreign suppliers with whom “Spetstechnoexport” concluded agreements, and not the shortcomings of the Ukrainian company.
As it became known, “Spetstechnoexport” has already returned to the state about 9 billion hryvnias, which were paid for weapons within the framework of contracts, according to which the Armed Forces of Ukraine probably never received the corresponding supplies.
Currently, Ukrainian courts are considering dozens of lawsuits from the Ministry of Defense against “Spetstechnoexport”, which remains under the control of the Ministry of Defense of the Ministry of Defense, according to the investigation.
