The Ukrainian defense industry has suspended production of new missile systems, including the Vilha high-precision rockets system and the Grim-2 tactical missile system.

Leonid Shiman, director of the Pavlograd Chemical Plant, told Ukrainian media that Government has failed to provide funds for financing, resulting in the plant temporarily suspend production of solid-propellant rocket motors for new Ukrainian missile systems.

Shiman talked to Сensor.net.ua about the shutting down of the plant will mean the shutdown of the entire missile program.

“The plant is in critical condition – since the beginning of the year we have not received funding, the State Defense Order of 2020 has not yet provided money for us and for the implementation of the enterprise’s programs. … Financing of the plant has been stopped, we were forced to dismiss 687 peoples from the beginning of the year, if the money doesn’t come in soon, we’ll fire another 190. The question is, why and how much will the state cost to resume production?” – he said.

Pavlograd Chemical Plant was established in 1929 as an enterprise for the production of explosive materials and charging of ammunition for various purposes.

The plant is one of the leading Ukrainian enterprises in the fields of production: explosives (composite solid rocket propellants and items of their content, etc.), disposal (various types of ammunition unsuitable for further storage and application; solid propellant, etc.), scientific research on (development of high-energetic materials and items, etc.), design and engineering (technologies and equipment fo production and disposal of explosion and fire dangerous materials and items, etc.).

Pavlograd Chemical Plant owns a unique technology for the production of solid rocket fuel. This fuel is necessary for all serial and promising Ukrainian-made missiles. The shutdown of the plant will mean the shutdown of the entire missile industry.

“So far, Ukraine has launched mass production of just one type of long-range missiles – Vilha, the first batch was commissioned on the 19th year, but we must continue to work. In the event of a new large-scale offensive by the Russian Federation with the help of Vilha, we get a deterrent. Putin he will think for a long time whether he should attack Ukraine again and fire at our cities, as the Russians did in 2014-15,” – says Shiman.