WP writes Ukraine lacks weapons production capacity: Ukrainian Armor names key reasons

The Washington Post reports.

Journalists note that Ukraine was effectively unprepared for a full-scale war with Russia. After the collapse of the USSR, its arms industry declined, and Ukraine relinquished its nuclear weapons in exchange for so-called guarantees of territorial integrity.

Now, after more than two years of full-scale war, Ukraine needs everything: from basic supplies like bullets to sophisticated weapons such as long-range missile systems, fighter jets, and bombers.

Ukrainian officials say they cannot disclose precise figures of their production due to security concerns. However, a list of constraints, ranging from lack of proper funding to sourcing an adequate supply of gunpowder, hampers Ukraine's industrial efforts to ramp up production.

Ukraine's ability to finance domestic arms production is limited by the investment capital it can allocate, as Western financial support is typically directed towards non-military expenditures. Officials say Ukraine will spend approximately $5 billion this year on domestic arms production, but all agree that this is insufficient.

Increasing taxes is politically risky and economically impractical, considering that a portion of the population has emigrated abroad or is fighting on the front lines.

Ukrainian defense contractors also point out that the government's procurement methods hinder production because many ministries sign contracts, and there is no unified system.

In response to The Washington Post article, Ukrainian Armor, a design and manufacturing enterprise, notes that complex logistics and a sharp increase in international demand, leading to shortages of gunpowder and rocket fuel in the global market, are significant restraining factors for the development of the defense industry.

"In Ukraine, this has led to periodic halts in production," said Maksym Polyvianyi, Deputy General Director of Ukrainian Armor LLC.

He also noted an increase in the number of missile strikes on defense industry enterprises.

According to him, Ukrainian Armor and other weapons and military equipment manufacturers have moved some of their production outside Ukraine. As a defensive measure, companies split production stages or duplicate them and locate them in different places, all of which reduces production volumes.

Furthermore, currently, the domestic defense industry cannot produce high-tech systems. "To establish such production, to build such production, it will take decades," added Polyvianyi.

• By the end of March, the EU plans to transfer about 500,000 artillery shells to Ukraine, and the promised million of ammunition by year-end