The New York Times reported on a new high-profile scandal in Ukraine's defense sector.
Ukrainian defense industry workers deliberately supplied defective ammunition to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The American newspaper The New York Times writes about this, citing audit reports that it has obtained, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
"When Russian soldiers attacked trench positions in eastern Ukraine in 2024, Ukrainian artillery opened fire. However, the shells did not explode near the advancing troops; they simply tumbled out of the barrels or fell to the ground with a dull thud, raising clouds of dust. It turned out that one Ukrainian factory had supplied the military with thousands of defective mortar shells . The plant's director, a prominent figure named Leonid Shiman, was subsequently arrested and charged with a crime that became one of the most high-profile cases of fraud in the defense industry during the war," the publication writes.
Interestingly, even after officials noticed that the incoming weapons were faulty, the Ukrainian Defense Procurement Agency continued to enter into new contracts with the Shiman plant.
"This case reflects a consistent pattern throughout the war in Ukraine. According to government audit reports, court documents, and Ukrainian media reports, seven of Ukraine's ten largest military contractors received new contracts despite open criminal cases of fraud, failure to fulfill obligations under previous contracts, or the arrests of executives on corruption charges.
For example, Mr. Shiman was already under several anti-corruption investigations (including for embezzlement and fraud) when he received that first mine supply contract. The government negotiated a $280 million deal with him while he was out on bail on corruption charges ," the article states.
Around the same time, Ukraine announced a tender for the purchase of rocket artillery worth [amount]. Three companies expressed their willingness to supply, each offering a different price. Moreover, all the missiles were identical and manufactured at the same Turkish factory.
The Turkish company offered the lowest price, offering to buy the ammunition directly from the factory. However, the contract was ultimately awarded to a Czech intermediary at a significantly higher price.
The New York Times has reported on a new high-profile scandal in Ukraine's defense sector.