Frontline troops receive mortar rounds with "extremely poor-quality" propellant. PHOTO
Ukrainian defenders on one of the most intense frontlines have reported that newly supplied mortar rounds contain propellant of "extremely poor quality."
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by Viktor Bishchuk, host of the First Western TV channel, a veteran and member of the Public Anti-Corruption Council under the Ministry of Defence.
"The propellant — or rather, the propelling charge packages, let me phrase it like that to avoid being flagged) — are of extremely poor quality. Quoting the soldiers: "When firing and adjusting, the round behaves unpredictably (overshooting, undershooting). With identical sight settings, the difference in range reached up to 500 meters. The charges were unpacked just before firing." Bishchuk noted.
He added that with such a margin of error, "it’s basically firing into the void," which is especially problematic amid an active Russian offensive in that sector of the frontline.
Faulty mortar shells supplied to the Armed Forces of Ukraine
On November 6, 2024, it was reported that the Armed Forces of Ukraine received a low-quality batch of 120 mm mortar shells manufactured by Ukroboronprom.
On 20 November, a video of mines manufactured by "Ukroboronprom" malfunctioning was released.
The Ministry of Defence said it was investigating the situation.
Also, journalist Yuliia Kyrienko-Merinova said that after the situation with the low-quality 120mm mortar shells was publicised, a batch of 82mm mortar rounds, which also turned out to be defective, was recalled from the frontline.
On December 6, Minister of Strategic Industries of Ukraine Herman Smetanin told the Verkhovna Rada that out of millions of mines produced, the military had recorded only 417 cases of malfunction. Smetanin attributed the problems with mines to the quality of imported gunpowder.
On December 31, it became known that low-quality mortar shells had appeared in the units in the Vremivka direction, near Velyka Novosilka.
On January 9, 2025, Butusov stated that after the publication of the article about the faulty mortar shells, the 151st Brigade received quality ammunition.
The Command of the Logistics Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated that the soldiers of the 151st Separate Mechanised Brigade did not receive low-quality mortar shells.
