Overview

• The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained two executives from a state-owned defense plant and two Ministry of Defense (MoD) officials for supplying defective 120 mm mortar rounds to the Armed Forces.
• Investigators confirmed that 120,000 faulty mortar rounds, produced using low-quality materials, were sent to the frontlines, endangering soldiers and compromising operations.
• The defective rounds failed due to production flaws, including unstable propellant charges and unreliable components, rendering them unsuitable for combat use.
• Plant management and MoD officials allegedly conspired to conceal the defects by falsifying quality-control reports to meet contractual obligations.
• The detainees have been charged under Ukrainian criminal statutes for obstructing military operations through conspiracy, with potential sentences of up to 15 years if convicted.