Ukraine’s defense ministry on Tuesday said it had opened a probe into defective mortar shells being used against Russian forces and suspended their use, after a scandal emerged in the press.
At least 100,000 Ukrainian-made 120-millimeter (4.7 inches) shells have been removed from the front line, according to the Ukrainian news site Dzerkalo Tyjnia.
Ukrainian war journalist Yuriy Butusov also shared the figure on Sunday, denouncing “criminal negligence.”
The announcement came as Ukraine’s fatigued troops are struggling to contain advances by larger, better armed Russian forces in the east of the country.
Soldiers began voicing concerns about the faulty shells in early November, saying the rounds would not explode, remain stuck in the mortar or fall off target, according to private Ukrainian TV 1+1.
The defense ministry on Tuesday addressed the reports in a statement, saying it had stopped using them on the front line and seized part of the supply.
The use and delivery of the shells to combat units have been put on hold “until the causes of the malfunction are determined,” the statement said. Defective ammunition will be replaced with imported shells.
The authorities have been investigating the reports of “abnormal firing” for about two weeks, but details have been deemed “sensitive” given the ongoing war, the statement added.
Early findings of the probe pointed to poor-quality powder charges or violations of shell storage conditions as possible causes, the ministry said.
Since Russia launched its invasion nearly three years ago, Ukraine, which relies on Western military aid, has significantly ramped up its domestic weapons production.
President Volodymyr Zelensky last week told parliament that his war-torn country had manufactured more than 2.5 million mortar and artillery shells ranging from 60 to 155 millimeters.
“We are increasing this production,” he said.
