Threat to Sumy, unclear decisions of State Operator for Non-Lethal Acquisition. Serhiy Zgurets' column

State Operator For Non-Lethal Acquisition favors imports over Ukrainian producers

Ukraine is currently covering 40% of the army's needs thanks to its defense industry. Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha stated yesterday. He noted that funding must be sought, as the potential of Ukrainian enterprises is much greater in terms of producing equipment and weapons. There is also a wide range of other essentials needed by the Armed Forces — clothing, uniforms, body armor.

At times, there are cases where The State Operator For Non-Lethal Acquisition (DOT) gives preference to imported products despite the stated focus on domestic manufacturers. This raises concerns. Recently, information emerged that DОТ is considering purchasing clothing from other countries as an alternative to what local producers can supply. The light industry is an area where Ukraine has strong potential and capabilities.

Naturally, questions arise as to why this is happening, how exactly DОТ operates, and how this affects domestic defense enterprises, which are capable of supplying the Armed Forces with the full range of necessary goods. Supporting Ukrainian-made products means keeping taxes and other benefits within the country.

The Chairman of the Board of the Lviv Defense Cluster, Maksym Pliekhov, believes that Ukrainian enterprises can supply 98–99% of the light industry products needed by the Armed Forces. A few weeks ago, the The State Operator For Non-Lethal Acquisition launched procurement procedures for clothing and other gear, but these procedures failed.

What was the main issue? According to Pliekhov, DОТ, for unclear reasons, lowered the expected price by 15–30% across nearly all items. As a result, manufacturers simply didn’t participate in the tenders, since the price difference made production unfeasible — it would mean working at a loss.

Pliekhov added that what followed was either pressure or shortsightedness: DОТ began collecting commercial offers from foreign suppliers. Even though the tenders failed for five items, DОТ is gathering offers for 23 positions. “We cannot understand the logic behind such actions,” he said. “At the prices DОТ is offering, the products simply cannot be supplied.”

When a Ukrainian manufacturer produces goods for the Armed Forces, the money stays in the country — they pay profit tax, value-added tax, and wages. Pliekhov added that the KPI of the state agency is unclear, as the only current KPI appears to be the lowest price, regardless of where the product is sourced.

At present, imported suppliers can only be checked at the stage of product delivery. There have already been cases of substandard quality — concerns have been raised about winter jackets and body armor. “We’re seeing a situation that makes no sense to domestic suppliers,” he said.

Pliekhov also noted that suppliers are constantly trying to conduct market analysis together with DОТ, but this isn't happening — instead, there seems to be a push toward foreign procurement.

On May 30, letters were sent to the Anti-Corruption Council, in which manufacturers are requesting to be invited to a joint meeting at the Ministry of Defense. Pliekhov added that producers are waiting for that invitation.

The issue of imports has been a constant point of contention and debate over the past two years. Ukrainian manufacturers consistently demonstrate that they can meet all the needs of the Armed Forces.

He also noted that all tenders for body armor have been fulfilled. However, one tender — for 10,000 units — was won by a company linked to questionable Israeli products. All other tenders were won by Ukrainian companies, and deliveries to the Ukrainian Armed Forces are happening on time according to the signed contracts. Ukrainian companies fully meet the demand and are capable of doing even more.

Frontline: intersection of three regions

Two days ago, Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi had a meeting where he said that in May Ukrainian UAVs destroyed 89,000 targets — manpower and Russian equipment. Unmanned systems are now operating in all frontline areas. Over the past day, there were 173 combat engagements at the frontline, which is almost a steady figure for the last few days. 

The Russian troops are trying to put pressure on all sections of the frontline — the most active efforts are in the Pokrovsk sector, almost half of the combat engagements take place there. There is also Novopavlivka direction, where three regions — Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk — meet. A number of Ukrainian brigades, including the 31st Brigade, are holding defense there. 

The Russian forces are attempting to gain a foothold in a number of settlements. In some cases, the Ukrainian defense line and the Russian defense line resemble a comb, where units of both sides are mixed, which complicates the fighting. It is quite difficult for the Ukrainian soldiers to hold the line, and the Russians have a significant advantage in manpower. According to the Ukrainian military, on certain days, there are 10 Russian soldiers for every one of Ukrainian infantrymen trying to advance in this area.

Heavy fighting continues, and the Russians have gained a foothold on the outskirts of Zelene Pole, advancing about 900 meters west of Novosilka along the Vorona River. This advance is not significant, but it complicates the situation. The Russian army has several mechanized brigades, where the Ukrainian soldiers primarily use artillery and unmanned systems to prevent the invaders from advancing further. This section of the front is not the most active at the moment, but in any case, the enemy is trying to stretch Ukrainian forces to complicate the defense along the entire front.

Ukraine-Russia war live map, May 24-31, Photo: Espreso

Russian troops will not reach Sumy

There are other media areas that are receiving attention. First of all, the Russian attempts to advance on Sumy. There was a lot of information about this during the week. The Russian troops did advance there and captured several settlements — seven in total. The Russians have concentrated up to 50,000 troops there, who are focused on continuing to put pressure on Ukrainian defense lines. This is not enough to ensure the advance to Sumy — there are certain logistical constraints. 

First of all, the Russian forces are trying to advance to Yunakivka. It lies on the road from Sudzha to Sumy. This is one of the Russians' priorities. Even if the Russian forces succeed, the landscape beyond Yunakivka begins, where it will be extremely difficult for them to advance — the forests. This terrain complicates the Russian movement, plus the limited number of roads to Sumy. The Khotyn-Yunakivka section is the maximum capability that Russian troops can provide with a significant advantage in strength and equipment. 

I don't think there is a significant threat to Sumy, although there is a threat that the Russian troops may use artillery and drones when approaching the city. And to carry out tactics to destroy the city. Therefore, it is important how the leadership of the Ukrainian Armed Forces will ensure the balance of forces and capabilities in this area and secure the situation from Russian troops' attempts to move towards Sumy in several directions. I hope that they will succeed, and the situation will be stabilized to some extent.

Ukraine-Russia war live map, May 24-31, Photo: Espreso

Ukraine-Russia war live map, May 24-31, Photo: Espreso