Italian defence minister cites holidays as cause for delayed missile systems to Ukraine

The reason for the delayed deliveries of anti-aircraft missile systems to Ukraine from Italy was the holidays, said Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto.

“I am quarrelling with Italian companies because I need to deliver the Samp-T air defence system to Ukraine, and the Italian company that is supposed to put it in order closed for holidays in August,” he said, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

Crosetto, during the Globsec international security forum in Prague, also pointed to the weak production growth rate of the country's defence industry, stressing that Russian, Iranian and Chinese companies in this sphere work “seven days a week, 365 days a year and 24 hours a day,” while the Italian company “does not work on Saturday and Sunday, does not work in the evening”

Russia, according to the Italian defence chief, can change a car factory into an arms factory in a day, while Italy cannot change one company to start producing weapons faster.