By Max Hunder
KYIV, March 14 (Reuters) - A major Ukrainian arms
manufacturer announced on Tuesday it had started making 125-mm
rounds for Soviet-era tanks, as Kyiv seeks to boost its armour
capabilities for a counter-offensive against invading Russian
forces.
The ammunition was being made outside Ukraine with the
co-operation of an unnamed NATO country, state-owned
Ukroboronprom said.
"The first batch of 125-mm projectiles for T-64, T-72 and
T-80 tanks, which the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine use
to strike the invaders, has already been delivered," it said in
a post on the Telegram app.
It said the shells had been made to fulfil an order from
Ukraine's defence ministry. Despite them being made abroad,
Ukrainian personnel participated in the manufacturing process,
Ukroboronprom said.
While Western-made battle tanks donated by allies will soon
enter service with Ukraine's armed forces, the bulk of Kyiv's
tank fleet will remain Soviet-made in the short term.
This creates an acute need for new sources of ammunition
supply, as most NATO tanks use a different calibre -- while the
vast majority of 125-mm round stocks are held by Russia and
other countries who would not supply Ukraine.
Kyiv's wider drive to produce its own ammunition comes as
many of its Western allies feel the pinch in their own limited
stockpiles after supplying Ukraine for over a year as it fights
off Russia's invasion.
Ukroboronprom said this is the second type of munition which
it had started to make in co-operation with a NATO member state.
In February, it announced the start of joint production of
120-mm mortar rounds, again with an unnamed NATO partner.
(Editing by William Maclean)
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