Oleksandr Turchynov: Ukrainian forces should be armed with domestic tank “Oplot”

Ukrainian forces should be armed with domestic tank "Oplot". This was stated by Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov during his familiarization with the production of armored vehicles at SE "Malyshev Plant" in Kharkiv.

Secretary of the NSDC of Ukraine noted that in the new State Defense Order for 2018, the provision of "Oplot" tanks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine should be definitely foreseen. "Today, the entire line of Ukrainian tanks is produced at the plant, in particular, the best domestic tank "Oplot", which due to its high cost is produced only under export contracts. These tanks should be on the armament of Ukrainian troops for them to reliably defend our country", - he emphasized.

"The enterprise, which until 2014 had been considered dead-end and planned to be cut for scrap, is working and again becoming the flagship of Ukrainian defense industry", - Mr. Turchynov noted. Secretary of the NSDC of Ukraine stressed the importance of investing in production, resource search, which would allow providing the plant with new equipment and "would allow to significantly increase the number of tanks produced at the plant and help to improve their quality".

Oleksandr Turchynov also visited SE "Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau" and informed that "new-generation weapon" is being developed in the Bureau behind closed doors.

As previously reported, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov is paying a working visit to Poltava and Kharkiv regions on June 23-24.