From the beginning of hostilities with the participation of ISIS (a terrorist group whose activities are banned in Russia) in Syria, many experts wondered, where do these rebels get such a number of arms of the Soviet sample and a large quantity of ammunition. The search for an answer to this question has led experts not only to warehouses, formerly under the control of the government army, but also on the territory of States that are very far from Syria.
The Soviet Union provided all
The full scope and precise figures of military-technical cooperation and assistance that the Soviet Union had friendly countries, experts in the field of armaments can not count today. The difficulty lies in the fact that cars, armored vehicles, helicopters, and much of what was supplied and produced on the territory of Warsaw Pact countries is more or less uncountable. The Soviet leadership gave generously of their allies in Eastern Europe and assistant factories and entire industrial regions. For many years, before the collapse of the Union industry in Eastern Europe “on the wing” – Soviet specialists helped to establish the production, inspected the pilot batch and ensure the quality control. After the collapse of the Soviet Union the newly independent state, as they say, went wild.
The character in the famous movie about the arms trade from the warehouses of independent Ukraine in this sense does not seem quite fictitious. Experts explain that the activity conflicts in many regions of the world, including in Africa, from 1991 to 2000-ies directly related to the supply of weapons from several countries, among which are Ukraine, Bulgaria, and many others. The origin of many types of weapons and ammunition caused issues during the so-called Arab spring exploded across the middle East. Many of the States of the European Union are actively trading with foreign customers, and supplied arms, ammunition and equipment to the middle East, even in spite of the embargo.
Big gun sale
It is important to understand that the defense industry of some States in whose territory they were either millions of units ready to firearms and ammunition, or the manufacturing capacity and raw materials, the last few years made only a small military-technical cooperation with foreign customers, the arms of which is for the most part of the samples come from the Soviet Union. The volume of such cooperation was not great.
Small contracts for upgrades, scheduled and unscheduled repairs, modest upgrade, the supply of ammunition – that is, perhaps, all the programs that brought any decent money. However, the beginning of this trade miraculously coincides with the beginning of active hostilities in the middle East. Trade terrorists for oil in the question of equipping weapons closely related to each other, because the proceeds from the sale of hydrocarbons militants with the help of third parties and companies with European countries, buy weapons, ammo, and more. Nothing about the bloody business with terrorists, the official authorities of the Ukraine, of course, I don’t know.
However, the fact of detention of the Spanish intelligence services of the ship with Ukrainian sailors said the opposite. According to reports, the end point of the route of the Ukrainian vessel was Libya. A country in which after the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, the civil war began, and later there appeared supporters of the banned in Russia LIH. Theoretically, from Libya, this cargo can go anywhere. In Iraq, the armed forces which violently purged of militants from all over the country, and even in Syria. However, the main problem of such goods has always been the quality of the delivered weapons. 95% of small arms, ammunition, means of dealing with armored vehicles and many other “gifts” were kept for decades, and storage conditions likely observed properly only on paper.
In one of the videos ISIS militants in Iraq resent, examining the obtained weapons. The indignation of the militants is causing not only the year of manufacture and completeness of the delivered cargo, but also the actual useless some weapons for immediate use. Experts believe that the Ukrainian security forces do not just sell weapons and equipment, withdrawing it from its own military, but also actively working with its European neighbours. The Gulf monarchies, which supplied weapons not only from Ukraine but also from Poland and other former Warsaw Pact countries are in 95% of invoices and supporting documents.
Why and for what purpose these countries, whose armed forces are used mostly American weapons such purchases – no one is interested. A significant amount of arms go around official documents and memorandums. And smuggling to foreign customers from Ukraine are trafficked not only guns and ammunition, but also hand-held antitank grenade launchers, and more.
Brothers in arms
Bulgaria from Ukraine in the issue of arms is distinguished by one important circumstance. Ukrainian security officials sell what somehow is used in the army or is in the form of rusting scrap metal at warehouses. Nothing new, recently manufactured and shipped in Ukrainian shipments did not come across. Bulgarian Industrialists in this respect greatly different from their Ukrainian colleagues. Only 2016 year one of the largest manufacturers of weapons “Vazovski machine-building plant” (VMZ) has reported a net profit increase of 400%.
C 2014, actively cooperate with the Bulgarian factory was started by two American companies. Experts note that the main direction of Orbital ATK and Chemring is the so-called “logistical” aid and supply the allies with munitions for the armament of the Soviet model. As in the case of the Ukrainian supplies, a list of purchased for the “allies” of the United States of arms and ammunition to them is great. It includes not only small arms ammunition, but the shots for anti-tank grenade launchers, and even missiles systems of volley fire “Grad”.
The scandal with the past took place without the involvement of Bulgarian journalists of the newspaper “Trud”, filmed in a dilapidated warehouse of the terrorists in Aleppo boxes with rockets in Bulgaria. From a formal point of view, the Bulgarian armorers international law is not violated. Directly with terrorists is not traded in direct negotiation were not observed, and vessels, loaded Bulgarian arms, walked under the flags of the European States. However, due to the ship’s trackers found out that from Bourgas city in South-East Bulgaria – towards the Saudi port of Jeddah regularly run large bulk carriers under the flag of Denmark. Flights freighters would have remained unnoticed among the thousands of other similar vessels, if not one important circumstance. Chartered a ship, the American company Orbital ATK. The one that helps provide middle Eastern “friends” of the US arms and ammunition is not NATO sample.
It is worth Recalling that the armed forces of Saudi Arabia, Soviet and Russian production do not use, giving preference to supplies from the United States. About where the remains are received weapons, we can only guess. Most likely, Syria and Yemen continue to blaze, not least because such “aid” from abroad. According to the chief editor of the magazine “arms Export” Andrey Frolov, with the supply of “non-core” weapons to Saudi Arabia has long been known.
“Started shipment of arms and ammunition from Bulgaria and some other countries of Eastern Europe about five to seven years ago. And that such orders and “alive,” the East European arms industry. A vivid example of the already known “Vazovski machine-building plant”, which until 2014, was on the verge of bankruptcy. After receiving multi-million dollar orders was the same plant to work at full capacity. Even the state has stepped up and raised the staff salaries,” – said the expert.
Yourself Bulgarian Industrialists, in spite of the international community, including the foreign Ministry, there is nothing shameful in their activities do not see. Soviet weapons and ammunition, despite the assistance of the United States to the “moderate” opposition, is still the cheapest and most simple to manufacture and due to foreign customers has significantly improved the financial condition of the other Bulgarian arms companies such as Kintex, Samel 90 Arcus and Arsenal JSCo.
Photos of fighters of “Ahrar al-sham” against the background of the boxes with the Bulgarian munitions or the presence of 122 mm rockets on the terrorists stripped from a warehouse in Aleppo , the Bulgarian foreign Ministry did not seem very concerned. Failed to wait for the official statement of the Bulgarian foreign Ministry about of found goods with a recognizable label. Experts note that only in Aleppo the Syrian army was found about two million rounds of various calibers, and four thousand missiles systems of volley fire “Grad”. The fighting in Syria and Yemen in this case, playing into the hands of the official authorities of Bulgaria – a formal violation of the law, and Russia’s proposal to conclude an intergovernmental agreement has not yet considered.
Only deliveries in the interests of American companies that supply weapons and ammunition of the wards in the middle East, allow the Bulgarian defense industry not only to be interrupted with bread and water, but also thoroughly to make. Experts note that the business of blood is extremely beneficial to the Bulgarian side, and blood money in a very specific case does not smell. Built in the Soviet Union in Bulgarian military factories are now working not for the sake of peace in Europe, but for the sake of huge profits. And the consequences of such business, the Bulgarian authorities seem not particularly concerned about.
Author: Dmitry Yurov
Photo: Wissam Nassar / Globallookpress, Medyan Dairieh / Globallookpress, Medyan Dairieh / Globallookpress, Sebastian Backhaus / Globallookpress, Dabiq / Globallookpress