Ukraine has started production of the latest Sich assault rifle — a licensed version of the Czech model CZ Bren 2. Ukroboronprom reported this on its Telegram channel, accompanying the news with a symbolic appeal:
“For real Cossacks, Sich is a mother, Velikiy Lug is a father, and Bren 2 is a faithful comrade in battle. Farewell, Kalash, hello — CZ Bren 2 Sich .
New weapons for the Armed Forces of Ukraine: adapted to NATO standards
The new rifle is being assembled at a Ukrainian enterprise under the official license of the Czech company Česká Zbrojovka. The gunsmiths have undergone professional training in the Czech Republic, and the production has been adapted to NATO standards. The first sample of the Ukrainian version of the Bren 2 has already been handed over to the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, as a symbol of partnership between the countries.
This rifle has a number of advantages over its Soviet counterparts: it is lighter, more accurate, easier to use, and technically more reliable. Equipped with an adjustable gas-operated mechanism and available in 5.56×45 mm and 7.62×39 mm calibers, it is suitable for both close combat and full-scale assault operations.
Industrial scale and the course towards independence
Today, Ukraine already has a full-fledged production line, capable of producing up to 400 weapons per day. In the future, the pace of production will increase and the gradual abandonment of Soviet small arms will be phased out.
Ondrej Bohač, the head of Colt CZ, notes that this is a strategic step towards Ukraine's complete independence from weapons previously supplied from Russia and Belarus.
In parallel, other aspects of the country's defense capability are being discussed in the public space. In particular, People's Deputy Yuriy Kostenko emphasized that Ukraine's own nuclear arsenal could become the most reliable guarantee of its security, but its creation is being stopped by political and international restrictions.
And the issue of supplying Taurus cruise missiles from Germany remains open. Despite the refusal of the current Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the leader of the opposition CDU, Friedrich Merz, who is seen as a potential successor to Scholz, is in favor of transferring these weapons to Ukraine.
