Ukrainian ingenuity: Repurposing war debris for the frontlines
During the current war, Ukrainians have shown immense creativity. One manifestation of this is finding new uses for old or faulty missiles and other types of weapons. Here’s how Ukrainians are recycling war debris that is once again falling on Russians.
Journalists from the United 24 group visited a secret military recycling facility set up by Ivanych, the commander of the 3rd Regiment of the Special Operations Forces. A group of 50 people, working with limited resources, are dismantling old or damaged artillery shells and other types of armaments.
Ukrainians say some of the dismantled missiles were produced in the 1950s, and judging by the photos, most of the currently disassembled 122 mm and 152 mm artillery ammunition is of Iranian or Pakistani origin. Additionally, the facility receives captured ammunition and, for example, launchers like the FGM-148 Javelin or NLAW that were damaged by shrapnel.
Everything you know or don’t can become a weapon. "You just have to be creative"
As Ivanych states in an interview, "everything you know, and even things you don’t, can be turned into a weapon. You just have to be creative." The facility receives a variety of ammunition that is adapted for use on FPV drones or as throwable charges for "Baba Yaga" drones.
"We cannot afford to throw away ammunition, like they do in the USA," Ivanych says, adding that Ukraine is not as wealthy as America, and nothing here is wasted. He also notes that new faulty ammunition does occur, but these are very rare cases.
Due to the handling of explosives (and the fact that old explosives can become unstable), safety during work is crucial, and there is no room for a relaxed atmosphere at the facility. Often, the factory receives shells with written or engraved slogans directed at Ukraine or Russia.
The workers are divided into three groups: one dealing with explosives, the second cutting steel rods for shrapnel production, and the third producing warhead bodies and assembling them. Cumulative warheads from launchers or anti-tank grenades are also adapted for drone use when necessary.
Ivanych estimates, according to reports, that about 20 percent of the ammunition in the frontline zone doesn't work, which his team's work can mitigate through alternative reuse of war waste. It's worth noting that similar efforts are also conducted by Russians, who obtain, for example, explosives from faulty hand grenades.
