Ukrainian MP says Ukraine has no choice but to purchase from Russia parts for its weapons production
Ukraine is forced to continue purchasing Russian components for military equipment in circumvention of bans, said Dmytro Tymchuk, People's Deputy of the People's Front in an interview with Apostrophe.
“There is a way out. Either purchase from Russia or nowhere. This means that the equipment that is out of order now due to military actions cannot be repaired, that there is nothing to repair, that no components are available,” he said.
The People's Deputy explained that the Ukrainian industrial and military system can only meet 40% of the Ukrainian army’s needs and that it is now impossible to replace Soviet equipment in the army because of colossal costs.
“Accordingly, since there is a ban on trade relations with Russia, our enterprises get Russian components by hook or by crook, but not through purchases,” Tymchuk said.
In February, the media wrote that Ukraine was trading arms with Russia and that Moscow was Kyiv’s largest partner in the arms market. Last year, more weapons were sold to Russians than during former President Viktor Yanukovych’s time.
Ukrainian state-owned Ukroboronprom denies the trade with Russia, although it has not said outright that its subsidiary plants continue to cooperate with the Russian Federation bypassing the legislation.