The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine continues its investigation into the causes of the abnormal detonation of 120 mm mines, which have become the subject of media attention in recent weeks. The commission established to investigate the incident has been working for the third week, but information on the progress of the investigation remains limited.
The press service of the Ministry of Defense emphasized that such closure is related to the safety and efficiency of the commission's work, as well as the conditions that have arisen due to ongoing Russian aggression. According to representatives of the department, this allows to ensure the accuracy of the investigation and avoid the spread of unverified information that can cause harm.
Preliminary results of the investigation point to possible ammunition defects. In particular, studies confirm the possibility that the reasons for the abnormal operation could have been low-quality powder charges or violations of the mine storage conditions, which led to their damage. In this regard, the Ministry of Defense decided to suspend the use and issue of these mines in the Defense Forces. The recovered ammunition was handed over for further research.
Since the detected defects may threaten the safety of the Ukrainian military, instead of defective mines, the military units will be provided with imported mines that meet high quality standards.
The Ministry of Defense also emphasized the need for additional inspections of other types of mines, in particular mines of other calibers. The commission will check compliance with production standards, quality of components and storage conditions of these ammunitions to prevent similar incidents in the future. The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) initiated a criminal case on the fact of the supply of low-quality mines.
The Ministry of Defense promises to inform the public about the progress of the investigation when it will not threaten the security of national interests.
