Ukrainian intelligence directorate to deal with arms import, export

The Ukrainian state-owned company Spetstechnoexport, exporting and importing weapons to the world market, has been transferred to the Ukrainian Defence Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate.

The directorate reported on its Telegram channel, Kommersant reports.

"The Ukrainian Government has agreed to the Ukrainian Defence Ministry intelligence agency's proposal to transfer the subsidiary of the state company Ukrspetsexport - the state self-supporting foreign trade enterprise Spetstechnoexport from the Defence Ministry management to the Ukrainian Defence Ministry Main Intelligence Directorate's management," the report says.

Spetstechnoexport is the second company by gross income, founded in 1998 as a subsidiary of the state company engaged in the import and export of weapons, Ukrspetsexport. Spetstechnoexport cooperates with companies from more than 30 countries, in particular with Algeria, Indonesia, Malaysia and Bangladesh. The main customer of Spetstechnoexport is the Indian Defence Ministry. Private Indian customer companies include Bharat Electronics Limited, Reliance Defence Limited, and Tata Power Company Limited.

On August 4, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov dismissed from the post of director of Spetstechnoexport Evgeniy Larin and Ukrspetsexport CEO Vadim Nozdryu. The Ukrainian edition Censor reported that the reason for the dismissal may be related to "the dissatisfaction of the top leadership of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry with the current execution of contracts for the import of critical weapons.