The new head of the Ministry of Defense does not see the possibility of opening the export of domestic weapons to Ukrainian weapons manufacturers at this time, but assured that the state is working to increase government orders in Ukraine.
The new head of the Ministry of Defense does not see the possibility of opening the export of domestic weapons to Ukrainian weapons manufacturers at this time, but assured that the state is working to increase government orders in Ukraine.
Denys Shmyhal expressed this opinion in an interview with the BBC. The minister believes that until the Armed Forces of Ukraine are 100% saturated with weapons, there is no need to think about exports.
"The export of weapons is a political decision, always and in any country. In times of war, if our defender on the front line does not have enough of this or that weapon, it is impossible to export it until we replenish our armed forces by 100 plus percent. If there is a production surplus, we must find ways to finance it and give it to our armed forces," said Shmyhal.
The Minister of Defense assured that the state understands the state of affairs of Ukrainian weapons manufacturers and is doing everything possible to purchase domestically produced weapons.
"We are looking for additional funds, trying to order everything that can be produced in the state. But in conditions of war, direct exports are impossible to imagine. These could be partnership projects, when part remains in the warehouses of partners. It is possible to form strong chains of arms exchange with partners. But not direct exports," the head of the Ministry of Defense added.
Shmyhal also commented on the work of key agencies — the State Logistics Operator (DOT) and the Defense Procurement Agency (AOZ). He reported that there are currently no critical remarks about their work, and the heads of these structures are “moving in the right direction.” The head of AOZ, Arsen Zhumadilov, remains in his post.
The Minister explained the merger with the Ministry of Strategic Industry and Trade with pragmatic considerations: accelerating communications, eliminating bureaucratic barriers and internal competition. Shmyhal recalled that the creation of the Ministry of Strategic Industry and Trade was an initiative of the President even before the full-scale war, when the defense industry was weakened by corruption scandals and Russian influence. However, now, in the conditions of war, Ukraine needs quick decisions and a single center of responsibility.
Recall, Denys Shmyhal came to the Ministry of Defense instead of Rustem Umerov due to the change in the composition of the Cabinet of Ministers . Among the officials who lost their positions was Kateryna Chernogorenko , she was responsible for digitalization in the Ministry of Defense. Chernogorenko's place was headed by Oksana Ferchuk , who is known for her work on the electronic public procurement platform (Prozorro) and the electronic document management service "Vchasno".
