Russian Forces Destroy Ukrainian MiG-29 Jets, Ukroboronprom Struggles to Supply Weapons to its Army

Ukraine’s arms manufacturing and export agency, Ukroboronprom has supplied tanks and other weapons to nation’s armed forces even as Russian forces continues to plummel Ukrainian military targets.

Russia reported the destruction of an unspecified number of Ukrainian MiG-29 aircraft at the airfield in Ivano-Frankivsk on Saturday. Five damaged MiG-29s, Ukraine’s most advanced aircraft, can be counted in a video released by the Russian Ministry of Defense. The authenticity of video could not be confirmed.

Ukroboronprom’s activity comes amidst German assurance to sending 1,000 anti-tank systems and 500 Stinger portable anti-tank systems to Ukraine. However, these are yet to arrive in Ukraine.

“All these days Ukroboronprom is handing over weapons and military equipment to our defenders. Yesterday one of the enterprises managed to fly a repaired helicopter, literally under the noses of the Russians,” a company statement said.

Dozens of weapons of various types were transferred to Ukraine’s armed forces and national guard. Besides, ‘incomplete’ vehicles and all trucks — to the Territorial Defense Forces.

The plants are currently operating according to their schedules and algorithms agreed for each enterprise. In some cases, all design and other documentation has been relocated.

The director of one of Ukroboronprom’s plants, together with Ukraine’s Armed Forces, the National Guard and the Territorial Defense Forces, “repulsed five (Russian) attacks, and already has trophy weapons and shot down two aircraft of the enemy’s landing troops,” the statement said.