Ukraine is forced to buy some types of weapons it needs , at prices many times higher than their market value, which were before the start of the war. Suppliers often demand to pay 6 times more than 2 years ago, The Sunday Times reported, citing data obtained from Ukrainian sources.
The founder of the Defense Supply Agency of Ukraine, Vladimir Pikuzo, talked about the difficulties in acquiring and supplying Soviet weapons systems. After the start of the military operation against Ukraine, their prices rose sharply. For example, parts for the Grad systems are now sold for 6,000 USD, although Ukraine manages to buy them for 4,700 USD. In comparison, during the first months of hostilities, their price was only 900 USD per unit. Tank 125mm shells increased in price from 1200 USD to 7400 USD.
The publication notes that “in an industry known for its opacity”, it is difficult to determine the exact reason for such a rapid rise in prices. “We cannot explain this growth,”, Picuso said. The most plausible explanation is speculation by middlemen and suppliers, The Sunday Times continues.
In this process, Ukraine cooperates with Western intelligence services. They help locate Soviet weapons stockpiles and smuggle them out of countries that refrain from selling them directly, the publication said. Pikuzo noted that Ukraine as a whole does not have significant financial resources: it has a budget that covers only 20% of battlefield needs. "But even if Kiev had enough money, ``three to four times China's military budget of USD 200 billion,'' it still wouldn't have enough production capacity in the world," Picuso added. He explained that Western countries cannot supply certain types of weapons because their own armies are undermanned.