Pakistan routing arms & ammo to Kyiv; profiteering from Russia-Ukraine war: Reports

Amid the ruthless Russia-Ukraine war in Eastern Europe, Pakistan is now embroiled in yet another controversy as it has been discovered that Islamabad has been providing weapons and ammunition to Kyiv. According to media reports, Islamabad has supplied weapons and ammunition manufactured in Pakistan for Ukraine's use in the ongoing conflict with Russia. The European website Geo-politik reported that Islamabad is apparently using defence suppliers and contractors operating in foreign countries to channel these shipments to Ukraine.

Furthermore, 'Ukraine Weapon Tracker', a website that monitors the use and seizure of weapons and ammunition in Ukraine, has been the source of evidence which states that Ukraine uses ammunition produced in Pakistan. According to the website, Pakistan Ordnance Factory in Punjab produces the 122 mm high-explosive fragmentation artillery shells used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), Geo-politik reported.  

Pakistan's arms and ammunition supply

According to sources, M/s DMI Associates, an arms supplier located in Islamabad, has been in touch with M/s Defence Industry Group, a company based in Bulgaria, to enable the delivery of manufactured defence equipment to the Ukrainian government. Separately, according to Geo-politik, a Slovakia-based defence firm M/s Chemica had purportedly contacted Pak Ordinance Factories' ammunition supplier M/s Kestral, on behalf of Ukraine's Defence Ministry.  

Given that the CEO of Kestral, Liaqat Ali Beg, travelled to Poland, Romania, and Slovakia in May and June of this year, M/s Kestral may be utilising the war to expand its operations in these countries, which are bordering Ukraine, ANI reported. 

In a related incident, it was discovered that the Ukrainian business M/s FORMAG, located in Kyiv, had contacted M/s Bluelines Cargo Pvt Ltd in Pakistan to send gloves for the Ukrainian army. According to a recent report in the online Russian web portal Riafan, the UK has made Pakistan's Noor Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi a crucial base for the shipment of military supplies for the Ukrainian Army. 

Notably, Islamabad is currently trying to make money from the conflict between Russia and Ukraine by giving Kyiv the ammunition it needs, ANI reported. According to reports, amid the current confrontation between Russia and Ukraine, Russian forces are being attacked by 122 mm HR artillery. 

Pakistan has awarded the Ukrainian state weapons company UkrOboronProm a deal of USD 85.6 million to upgrade T-80UD combat tanks, ANI reported. Besides this, Ukraine and Pakistan earlier this year also spoke about additional orders for the delivery of 6TD1 and 6TD2 engines. According to Geo-politik, Pakistan alone inked a USD 85.6 million deal with Ukraine in 2021 for the repair of its T-80UD fleet. 

Image: AP