Bureaucratic obstacles in the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense are seriously delaying the expansion of NATO-standard ammunition production. Vladyslav Belbas, CEO of Ukrainian Armor LLC, voiced his concerns about this issue during a recent appearance on the “Military Summary of the Day” program. Belbas described the artillery ammunition production processes as “extremely slow” and cited bureaucratic inadequacies within the Ministry of Defense as the main reason for these delays.
Limitations of the Bureaucratic System
Belbas said that the bureaucratic system created in Ukraine is an obstacle to the continuous development of production. Belbas stated that fast and efficient ammunition production is of critical importance given Ukraine's war conditions, and emphasized the need for long-term contracts and solid financing mechanisms so that manufacturers can independently expand their activities.
Belbas said, “Unfortunately, the bureaucratic system created here does not allow for continuous development of production,” and that such systematic slowdowns deepen the ammunition shortage at the front. Belbas, drawing attention to the need to overcome bureaucratic obstacles at a time when ammunition needs to be supplied quickly, argued that the production capacity of private companies should be increased in order to increase Ukraine’s defense capacity.
The Importance of Long-Term Contracts
Belbas said that long-term contracts are needed to accelerate Ukraine's ammunition production. He said that such contracts are critical not only for motivating manufacturers, but also for meeting the ammunition needs of the front. Long-term financial arrangements will allow private companies to establish new production facilities and increase production volumes. In addition, advanced weapons systems can be produced without relying on direct state investment.
Belbas, who stated that Ukrainian Armor aims to specialize in the production of NATO-caliber artillery ammunition by 2025, emphasized that investments and arrangements to be made in this area are important. Belbas’s statements are consistent with similar concerns of Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall in Germany. Papperger stated that administrative processes in Germany are much faster and defense production facilities are approved quickly.
Comparison with Germany
Armin Papperger stated that they were able to build factories in Germany faster than in Ukraine and that bureaucratic obstacles had almost completely been eliminated, drawing attention to how slow the processes in Ukraine were. He stated that the rapid approval and construction of ammunition factories and defense production facilities in Germany in particular could serve as an example for overcoming bureaucratic obstacles in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s defense industry needs to modernize rapidly and increase production capacity. However, to achieve this goal, bureaucratic hurdles must be overcome and private companies must be able to move faster. Resolving these bureaucratic issues that Belbas mentioned will be vital for Ukraine’s defense industry.
