"Cogs" of war: how old technology ensures the country's defense capability while the legislative system is stalling

Recently, the issue of Ukraine's use of Soviet-made military equipment has become widely publicized in the media. Discussions have arisen in society regarding the procurement of components necessary for the maintenance and repair of this equipment. This is especially relevant in the context of active hostilities, where the serviceability of equipment often determines life and the effectiveness of defense. Against this background, statements about possible "betrayal" and lack of transparency in supply chains are increasingly being heard. UNN decided to investigate whether there are really grounds for indignation in this situation and where, if at all, the culprits should be sought.

How does Ukrainian Soviet-made equipment survive in the war of the XXI century?

After the start of Russian armed aggression in 2014, and later the full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine was forced to maximize its available military resources.

Until the moment of systematic military support from Western partners, most of the equipment in service was still Soviet-made - mostly serviceable, but morally obsolete. At that time, Ukraine did not have an established production of tanks, combat aircraft, helicopters and most armored vehicles.

Since 2014, this equipment has been actively used at the front. It is clear that under the conditions of combat operations, it broke down, suffered damage and required constant maintenance. A completely logical question arose - how to repair it? Soviet-style equipment is not compatible with modern components, and launching a new production is a complex, expensive and technologically difficult process, especially in wartime. Therefore, Ukrainian repair enterprises began to search the world for spare parts that could fit.

The searches were conducted in EU countries and among other partners who once purchased Soviet or Russian equipment and could store its remains in warehouses. It is important to note that in the case of spare parts of Russian manufacture, we are talking only about those stocks that were produced by Russia and sold to other countries before 2014, i.e. before the start of the war against Ukraine.

Sanctions against Russia: when the law clashes with the reality of the front

Until 2014, the issue of importing goods from Russia remained stable and controlled. However, after the start of aggression, and especially after the full-scale invasion in 2022, the Ukrainian government began to actively introduce sanctions restrictions in response to the military actions of the Russian Federation.

In 2015, the first key resolution appeared - No. 1147 of December 30, which introduced a primary ban on the import of goods of Russian origin into the customs territory of Ukraine. Later, after the full-scale invasion, the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 426 of April 9, 2022 established a complete ban on the import of any goods from Russia. In 2023, the restrictions were only tightened: on May 30, Resolution No. 545 expanded the list of goods prohibited for import; on June 6, Resolution No. 577 clarified the prohibitions, in particular in the part of energy resources; and on October 31, Resolution No. 1133 introduced changes to the system of licensing the import and export of certain goods, which further complicated the procedures.

These documents are undoubtedly important from the point of view of national security and economic pressure on the aggressor. But at the same time, none of them provide for exceptions for particularly sensitive items - for example, spare parts for Soviet military equipment, which is still used at the front. As a result, the import of even legal parts manufactured in the USSR or in Russia before 2014 and placed in warehouses in EU countries is almost impossible today. Suppliers risk being accused of collaborating with the enemy, and Ukrainian banks often do not pass payments through financial monitoring. Thus, the regulatory framework created to block trade with the Russian Federation, in practice, also blocks critical processes of repairing military equipment, which saves lives on the front lines every day.

Intermediate conclusions: equipment is fighting, and laws are not keeping up

• Ukraine is forced to use Soviet equipment, since there was no other alternative before the start of large-scale international support - tanks, airplanes, helicopters and armored vehicles were inherited from the USSR.
• Their repair requires original or compatible spare parts that are not produced in Ukraine, because modern components are not suitable for this equipment, and establishing a new production is too expensive, technologically complex and lengthy process.
• Ukrainian repair and maintenance companies are forced to look for the remains of such parts abroad, in particular in EU countries and other states that previously purchased Soviet or Russian equipment and could store it in their warehouses.
• At the legislative level, there is currently no clear distinction between goods produced in Russia before the start of the war and those that are subject to sanctions. As a result, even the import of spare parts from partner countries is blocked: banking financial monitoring does not pass payments, and the importers themselves may face accusations of collaboration.
• As a result, the current regulation actually makes it impossible to import critical components, even if they do not come directly from the Russian Federation. This creates a threat to both the maintenance of the combat condition of military equipment and the functioning of the civil aviation fleet.

Who is to blame: a game of the extreme to the sound of explosions

Perhaps the military is to blame? The same ones who use Soviet equipment every day to protect the country, perform combat missions and - oddly enough - break it in the process. After all, war is such a thing: don't keep it as a museum exhibit, but work until the last resource.

Or maybe the repairmen are to blame? Those who day and night, by all possible and impossible means, try to repair the "old guard" from everything that can only be found in the world. They patch, weld, redo, so that the pilot has something to take off on, and the mechanic has something to replace.

Perhaps the officials are to blame, who do not see the systemic problem and are not in a hurry to make adjustments to the regulatory framework? Because, it seems, everything is prohibited in the resolutions, and how this affects the front - well, that's already a "technical issue".

But there is a nuance in this story: looking for the culprits without solving the root of the problem is about the same as playing into the hands of the enemy. And he, by the way, is not concerned with any standards. Ukrainian experts found confirmation that Shahed-type strike drones are assembled from anything, soldered manually, but they fly, and missiles, in turn, are produced almost from the conveyor - without specifying the origin of the parts and without ISO certification.

So, while we are figuring out who is more to blame for repairing a screw, we should not lose the screw in the main thing: victory depends not only on who is right, but also on who acts.

What do industry experts say?

Participants of the round table "Strategic potential of Ukrainian aviation", organized by the Aerospace Association of Ukraine, emphasized that the aviation industry in the context of a full-scale war needs systematic state support, in particular through the adaptation of legislation to current challenges. 

Commander of the Army Aviation of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Pavlo Bardakov outlined the key problems faced by the military - the wear and tear of equipment, the need for its repair, modernization and integration of modern means of communication, control and destruction.

According to the chief designer of JSC "Antonov" Oleksandr Dverin, although import substitution programs are partially implemented, it is still difficult to completely abandon parts of Russian and Belarusian origin: many key components are still manufactured exclusively in the Russian Federation or Belarus, which makes the problem of their replacement particularly acute for the entire aviation and defense industry.

Former Minister of Economy of Ukraine Viktor Suslov also emphasized difficulties with import substitution of military equipment in Ukraine and noted that, despite the supply of certain types of modern foreign equipment, their use requires agreement from Western partners, including the United States. In his opinion, in general, military-technical assistance remains limited and not very effective, and Ukraine is currently forced to rely mainly on the remnants of obsolete Soviet weapons.

Thus, experts are mostly unanimous that legal and institutional barriers also remain a critical challenge. Without prompt changes at the level of state policy, the development of industries that directly ensure defense will be blocked. 

What's next?

In this situation, an appropriate step would be to update the regulatory framework, taking into account the real state of affairs and the needs of the defense sector and the aviation industry. Unclear wording in current resolutions blocks payments for imports even from reliable European sources, and suppliers face the risk of legal complications and accusations. As a result, slower deliveries, difficulties with repairs and, as a consequence, a potential reduction in the state's technical capacity in critically important sectors.

This issue of national security requires a comprehensive settlement at the level of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in cooperation with the Security Service of Ukraine and all relevant regulatory authorities - in particular, through the development of a clear and transparent algorithm for the supply of components, including products manufactured before 2022. This will avoid legal confusion, ensure seamless logistics of spare parts and direct sanctions pressure where it is really effective - against the aggressor country, and not against its own defense capability.