The Luch Design Bureau has officially addressed government authorities with a request to resolve, in accordance with the legislation, the findings of the State Audit Service that are complicating the tasks related to the development and production of the "Weapon of Victory." This information was shared by the Luch Design Bureau on Facebook.
The letters have been addressed to the Prime Minister, Mr. Denys Shmyhal, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Mr. Oleksiy Danilov, the Minister for Strategic Industries, Mr. Oleksiy Kamyshin, and the CEO of the State Enterprise "Ukrainian Defense Industry" (formerly UkrOboronProm), Mr. Herman Smetanin.
In addition to the military aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the Luch Design Bureau has encountered internal factors that complicate the execution of the tasks related to the development and production of the "Weapon of Victory." The unfounded position of officials from the State Audit Service regarding the prohibition of including profit in the price has created real threats to the national security and defense of the state. The findings of the State Audit Service have caused confusion and indignation, leading to disagreements and legal proceedings between government authorities during the state of war. The audit materials have been transferred to law enforcement agencies, leading to the initiation of criminal proceedings. The artificially created threats are primarily in the interests of the Russian Federation, for which the Luch Design Bureau has repeatedly faced obstacles in the form of fabricated defamation and bureaucratic hindrances to its work.
To recap, at the end of June, the State Audit Service conducted an audit of contracts within the Ministry of Defense and claimed a violation amounting to 2.5 billion hryvnias. According to the service, Ukrainian manufacturers collaborating with the ministry should not include profit in their contracts with the government. The State Audit Service is demanding the return of these 2.5 billion hryvnias. This conclusion was based on Government Resolution 335.
The then-Minister of Defense, Alexey Reznikov, supported weapon manufacturers and stated that the provision in this resolution prohibiting profit contradicts the Civil and Economic Codes, as well as several other legislative acts.
The Luch Design Bureau is a developer and producer of anti-tank systems and missiles, including the "Stugna" and "Corsar" missile complexes, the "Olha" MLRS, and the renowned anti-ship complex "Neptune," as well as the "Bohdana" self-propelled artillery unit. This particular enterprise in Kyiv was one of the first to be targeted by Russian aggressors back in mid-March 2022. However, the equipment, spare parts, and missiles were successfully evacuated.