Ukraine's military crisis: Faulty weapons and internal scandals
The scandal involving faulty mortar ammunition is just one of several issues Ukrainian authorities, particularly soldiers on the front lines, are grappling with. For years, they have received equipment unfit for combat or field fortifications that quickly deteriorate.
In late November 2024, Ukrainian media uncovered a major scandal concerning 120 mm mortar shells. According to Ukrainian reports, approximately 100,000 shells supplied by a factory in the Ukroboronprom conglomerate are unusable. Ukrainians claim this stockpile is enough for six months of warfare.
Faulty mortar shells are not the only challenge facing the Ukrainian military. Since the war's inception, it has been contended with various scandals related to military supplies and corruption in military recruitment.
The aid reaching Ukraine is not always weaponry that can effectively defend its independence. Sometimes, it consists of equipment entirely unfit for combat.
Faulty weapons for Ukraine
An example of this was an early batch of German military aid to Ukraine, which, rather than Kyiv, German media publicized. "Der Spiegel" reported on issues with anti-aircraft missiles.
The problem related to a batch of 2,700 MANPADS 9K32 Strela-2 – handheld anti-aircraft missile launchers developed in the 1960s. They ended up in German warehouses with the country's reunification in 1990. Thirty years later, when taken out for use, they were not always functional. According to "Spiegel," one-quarter of the 2,700 "Strelas" were faulty.
Tanks unfit for battle
Another issue, this time involving Leopard 1 tanks, was publicized by Ukraine itself in 2023. Kyiv refused a batch of 16 tanks from Denmark, citing their worn-out condition, which rendered them unfit for combat.
The decision to reject the worn-out equipment was not only due to its poor condition but also because of the lack of spare parts and maintenance facilities necessary to restore the vehicles' combat capabilities. At the time, Poland took on the task of refurbishing the tanks.
The Danish broadcaster DR reported a similar situation in May 2024. A batch of Leopard 1 tanks, delivered collectively by Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands, turned out to be unfit for combat.
A report from the Danish Ministry of Defence revealed that the tanks sent to Ukraine had malfunctioning ballistic computers, preventing accurate shooting. Additionally, the electrical and hydraulic systems that affect turret rotation were non-functional. The scandal grew because documentation suggested some of the tanks had been refurbished before being sent to Ukraine.
Non-functional equipment was also deliberately handed over to Ukraine by Bulgaria. Sofia decided to provide an unspecified number of faulty anti-aircraft missiles for the S-300 system, acknowledging their inability to restore their functionality independently.
Old equipment can also be valuable
The actual usefulness of weapons sent to Ukraine is a separate issue, even when they are technically functional. While any aid can be valuable during war, the equipment supplied to Ukraine is rarely modern.
It often consists of withdrawn and then retrieved vehicles from previous generations, such as the lightly armoured reconnaissance AMX-10RC, whose misuse led to significant losses in mid-2023.
On the other hand, old equipment that does not meet current standards can still provide valuable support. For instance, RPG-76 Komar grenade launchers supplied by Poland were unfit for Polish soldiers not due to ineffectiveness but because of regulations (the problem was a lack of a self-destruct mechanism). For Ukraine, this weapon was fully functional.
It's worth noting that foreign equipment is not the only debated form of support for Ukraine. A good example is Greece, which, under the Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program, was supposed to receive – in exchange for infrastructural support for the US army and aid for Ukraine – M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, among others.
The Greek army refused to accept the offered vehicles because their technical condition was so poor that, according to Greece's defence minister Nikos Dendias, the refurbishment cost would have been comparable to buying new equipment.
Corruption and embezzlement
Issues also arise on the Ukrainian side. Alongside corruption scandals, inflated prices for military products, or supplies not matching specifications (e.g., summer jackets instead of winter ones), a significant scandal involved embezzlement by the company Lviv Arsenal, which was supposed to deliver 100,000 hand grenades. An investigation by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) early in 2024 revealed the weapons were never delivered.
In September 2024, another scandal surfaced through Ukrainian media, including the local editorial office of "Czas Czernichowa". It was discovered that fortifications, painstakingly and expensively built, which were supposed to ensure Ukraine's defence against a Russian attack from the north, had fallen into ruin.
They were constructed with improper materials and subsequently not maintained, despite their critical importance to the region’s security. The acting mayor of Chernihiv accused the head of the military administration of "improving the well-being of himself and his administration, allotting land, and granting shocking bonuses."
