According to journalists, Ukraine is looking for Soviet-style ammunition wherever possible, including in villages in Eastern Europe. Now the production of 122 mm shells has resumed at the Terem factory in Bulgaria.
The British Ministry of Defense has created a secret task force that purchases Soviet 122mm shells for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. On Thursday, February 23, The New York Times writes, citing knowledgeable sources.
As noted, Ukraine continues to seek Soviet-style ammunition for its weapons wherever possible, including in villages in Eastern Europe.
The newspaper writes that in recent months the Ukrainian army has fired between 2,000 and 4,000 shells a day, but more is needed to liberate the regions from occupation.
Weapons production for Ukraine in Bulgaria
In January, the Terem-Tsar Samuil military factory in the city of Kostenets, which produced 122 mm shells during the Soviet era, was reopened in Bulgaria, but was closed in 1988 when the Cold War with the West ended. Now the conveyors of the enterprise are ready to produce ammunition again.
Correspondents reported that representatives of the US embassy attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new production line last month.
As of October 2022, Bulgaria’s arms exports exceeded $3 billion last year, nearly five times more than foreign sales in 2019, according to government figures. Deliveries to Ukraine played an important role in this.
Search for Soviet weapons
After the start of Russian military aggression in February last year, Kiev demanded Soviet-style weapons from intermediaries in the United States and other countries. Ukraine bought ammunition wherever it could find it.
As a result, US brokers and diplomats searched for Soviet shells in factories in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Romania for cash. Moreover, as Europe’s reserves dwindled, Washington and London began to finance deals involving third countries and intermediaries who did not want the information to be disclosed.
Britain even set up a secret task force to arm Ukraine. A document confirming this was also in the hands of NYT reporters.
Thus, London sought to purchase 40,000 conventional and rocket shells produced by Pakistani artillery factories. In accordance with the agreements reached with Pakistan Ordnance Factories, the British side had to pay a broker from Romania for the purchase of weapons. But the deal failed: the Pakistani supplier was unable to deliver the ammunition.
Recall, on February 23, British Defense Minister Ben Wallace said that the Russia-Ukraine war will last about a year. According to him, NATO countries can start supplying fighter jets to Ukraine.
Source: Focus
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