Minister Smetanin speaks out on defective mortar shells: 24,000 rounds recalled
Source: Herman Smetanin/Telegram
Ukraine’s strategic industries minister Herman Smetanin admitted that Ukrainian officials had to recall 24,000 mortar shells after complaints from the military they were faulty and misfiring. The shells that drew ire were part of just one batch of 54,000 shells, which, according to Smetannin, in total amounts to less than 1% of all ammunition produced in 2024.
A probe launched earlier this November found some “issues” in the shells components. On November 20, the Logistics Command red-flagged the quality of some 120-mm mortar rounds that came from an undisclosed Ukrainian ammunition producer. Smetanin assured his ministry promptly responded the situation, ordering additionalquality checks by its directive of November 8.
The minister praised Ukraine’s defense industry that has delivered millions of artillery and mortar shells to the Armed Forces since the start of 2024. Production is rapidly scaling up, bolstered by the integration of advanced technologies, which will help provide frontline troops with the high-quality munitions.
In 2025, the deadliest year yet for civilians, Ukraine’s three largest charitable foundations raised a record 105.9 billion hryvnias. It is more than the years 2022–2024 combined. According to the UN, humanitarian aid in Ukraine was delivered by more than 450 organisations, reaching five million people over the course of the year. Civic foundations hold licences to purchase lethal weapons, which is a function states have monopolised for centuries. These record sums were underwritten by international government grants, which means foreign states now channel billions directly through Ukrainian civic funds, bypassing inter-state channels. It is hard to imagine a stronger institutional trust in civil society.
During the GLOBSEC Defence Forum 2026 in Prague, representatives of “Steel Front”, an initiative by Rinat Akhmetov, discussed with NATO delegations, military officials, and representatives of the European defense industry the lessons learned from Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
After the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine witnessed an unprecedented wave of private support for the army. Citizens, big businesses, charitable foundations, and international philanthropists began financing the country’s defense alongside state assistance provided by international partners. Estimates of total private contributions range from tens to hundreds of billions of hryvnias. However, determining the exact amount remains difficult. In many cases, companies combine military aid, humanitarian programs, tax payments, social spending, and employee support in their reporting.
Rinat Akhmetov’s military initiative, “Steel Front”, has delivered a batch of drones worth UAH 214 million to the 1st “Azov” Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine. This shipment is part of the Metinvest Group’s ongoing support for the unit in 2025.
On October 6, the Administrative Cassation Court within the Supreme Court of Ukraine continued hearing case No. 990/80/25, in which the fifth President and leader of the party “European Solidarity”, Petro Poroshenko, seeks to have Presidential Decree No. 81/2025 from February 12, 2025 — enacting sanctions by the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) — declared illegal and annulled. The plaintiff claims the document was falsified and that the sanctions are a tool of political persecution of the opposition, contrary to international norms. Government representatives deny the allegations and insist their actions were lawful. Journalists of Bukvy were present at the hearing.