Photo from UNIAN
The president instructed the government to urgently address the issue.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky expressed outrage at the fact that the Kharkiv-based Malyshev Plant over the past ten years has built only one tank for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
"We have more than 10% of Ukroboronprom's enterprises located in Kharkiv region. We just visited the aircraft factory, the legendary Malyshev Plant, and we saw what's happening there. First, I'm shocked. As for the statistics. The plant director told us one tank had been built for the Armed Forces since 2009. And in Soviet times, there were 900 tanks a year," Zelensky said at a joint meeting with Ukroboronprom CEO Aivaras Abromavicius.
The president pointed out the arrears of salaries at defense enterprises, which in some cases accumulated for four years, as well as low salaries – at the Kharkiv Aviation Plant the average salary is UAH 3,500.
Read alsoZelensky promises delayed wages at Ukroboronprom will be paid off soon
"How can people retain self-respect and work for the state? How can they even call themselves humans in such conditions? I was told that in winter, people would work in 0 degrees Celsius. We treat people like cattle, and then we want them to respect the authorities, respect Ukraine, and not leave the country, and that the enterprises keep operating," he said.
Zelensky also instructed Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk to urgently convene a government meeting with the involvement of law enforcement agencies in order to address the issue of the manufacture of armored vehicles for the Army.
"So that we understand who our customers are, and how many tanks are produced. Why do we make them for someone, for Thailand, while failing to make them for Ukraine? Why do we have beautiful planes and great designers, but we produce nothing and nothing flies?" the president said, expressing his indignation.
He turned to Abromavicius with a request to join the Cabinet's work in this regard.
"I'd ask you to join the government. So we can find the date for a meeting within a week. Let it be on the weekend. It's not winter yet. I understand that the conditions will not change and people will work in the same conditions in winter," he added.
UNIAN memo. SE Malyshev Plant (Kharkiv) is the largest manufacturer of armored vehicles in Ukraine. In collaboration with the Kharkiv's Morozov Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering and Kharkiv Design Bureau for Motor Engineering, the company produces modern models of special tracked and wheeled military vehicles, and also offers modernization programs for equipment operating in many countries. The main projects include heavy armored vehicles (Oplot MBT, BREM-84, modernized T-64, T-72, T-54/55/62 tanks), light armored vehicles (BTR-3U, BTR-4, BTR "DOZOR-B" , modernized BTR-60/70, BTR-50, BMP-2), and combat modules for light armored vehicles.
Malyshev Plant was transferred to the management of Ukroboronprom in November 2011 due to the losses, the main reasons for which were insufficient financing in terms of state orders and the lack of strategic management.