Ukraine Boosts Tanks, Armored Vehicles Production

Ukrainian armorers have built 105 tanks and armored vehicles, almost 3,000 rockets, 605 missile and artillery systems, 459 radio communication, electronic jamming and navigation units since January this year.

It is 36 times more than what they did during last year, the country’s top arms maker announced on Wednesday.

Ukrainian servicemen guard their position in the village of Shirokino near Mariupol, eastern Ukraine, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015.

“Our biggest achievement this year is that Ukraine is once again able to turn out good weapons… Our main priority now is a switch to the production of high precision weapons putting on stream the very latest designs,” Ukrainian military-industrial complex, Ukroboronprom director Roman Romanov said.

Nearly 4,000n units of new and upgraded weapons had been supplied to the country’s military over the past year, he added.

Currently, Ukroboronprom’s enterprises are undergoing severe shortage of specialists as it is restored after being virtually maintained since 1992 soviet breakup. The experienced staffs quit their enterprises in 1990 and have lost their skills.

The plants, which managed to survive the years of neglect and disrepair, are manned by pensioners or those who are about to retire due to old age.