Ukraine Punishes 20 Generals for Ammo Depot Blasts

Ukraine has prosecuted 75 personnel including more than 20 generals following explosions in military warehouses with more than $2 billion worth of ammunition being burnt over the last three years.

“Most of the military arsenals in the country had to be closed by 2014 due to financial problems. More funding will be required in order to reopen them,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak was quoted as saying by 5 Channel in an interview Monday.

He added that there is inadequate financing to secure the arsenals, and no one is willing to take on responsibility for the underfunded facilities. “Under current conditions it is extremely difficult to reliably protect the arsenal bases,” Poltorak noted.

In the middle of October, Serhiy Pashynskyi, head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee, said that more than $2 billion worth of ammunition has been burned at military warehouses over the last three years.

The most recent incident took place on October 9 at the arsenal in Ichnia in the Chernihiv province. There was an explosion followed by a fire, as a result of which 10,000 people had to be evacuated and 63 people required medical treatment. The persons responsible for the arsenal were charged with negligence.

In a comment on the incident, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said that the investigation believes it was a case of deliberate sabotage. He also announced plans to build 15 additional arsenals and to rebuild the military warehouse in Tsvitokha according to NATO standards. Around $43 million has been allocated to the project.