Ukraine suspends production of new missile systems

 Vilkha high-precision rockets system

The Ukrainian defense industry has suspended production of new missile systems, including the Vilkha high-precision rockets system and the Grim-2 tactical missile system.

This was reported by Defence Blog citing Censor.net.

Leonid Shiman, director of the Pavlograd Chemical Plant, told Ukrainian media that Government has failed to provide funds for financing, resulting in the plant temporarily suspend production of solid-propellant rocket motors for new Ukrainian missile systems.

Shiman talked to Сensor.net about the shutting down of the plant will mean the shutdown of the entire missile program.

“The plant is in critical condition – since the beginning of the year we have not received funding, the State Defense Order of 2020 has not yet provided money for us and for the implementation of the enterprise’s programs. … Financing of the plant has been stopped, we were forced to dismiss 687 peoples from the beginning of the year, if the money doesn’t come in soon, we’ll fire another 190. The question is, why and how much will the state cost to resume production?” – he said.

 the Grim-2 tactical missile system Photo by Dylan Malyasov

PCP owns a unique technology for the production of solid rocket fuel. This fuel is necessary for all serial and promising Ukrainian-made missiles. The shutdown of the plant will mean the shutdown of the entire missile industry.

“So far, Ukraine has launched mass production of just one type of long-range missiles – Vilha, the first batch was commissioned on the 19th year, but we must continue to work. In the event of a new large-scale offensive by the Russian Federation with the help of Vilha, we get a deterrent. Putin he will think for a long time whether he should attack Ukraine again and fire at our cities, as the Russians did in 2014-15,” – says Shiman.