Belarus is implementing a closed state project to create full-scale production of artillery and rocket ammunition that may directly serve the needs of the Russian army in the war against Ukraine, reports the Belarusian opposition organization BELPOL.
According to Volodymyr Zhyhar, official representative of the BELPOL initiative, Belarus has been implementing a closed state project called "Uchastok" (Site) since November 2023. The project involves creating a complete production cycle for artillery and rocket ammunition of Soviet calibers - 122 mm and 152 mm.
"The project is strategically linked to the interests of the Russian Ministry of Defense, as the final products are oriented toward export and use in the war against Ukraine," Zhyhar said, according to Ukrinform.
The project is scheduled for completion by December 2026. Its implementation is based on a secret decree by Lukashenka, with the specially created "Plant of Hull Products" designated as the key operator. The plant's founders are the company "Volatavto" and the state enterprise "Plant of Precision Electromechanics," overseen by the State Military-Industrial Committee of the Republic of Belarus.
"We view this project as an instrument of deeper involvement of Belarus in the war. This is not just about political support for Russia, but about direct material and technical support for its armed aggression. Considering the product nomenclature and volumes, the end consumer will be the Russian Federation," Zhyhar emphasized.
The production facility is located in the Slutsk district of the Minsk region - on the territory of a former military arsenal near the settlements of Pavlivka and Shchishchytsi. Some media previously suggested that a closed military base might be under construction there, potentially linked to the deployment of Russian strategic missile systems, including the "Oreshnik" complex. Such versions were based on the scale of construction work, the nature of the infrastructure, and the closed nature of the facility.
However, the actual purpose of the facility is different. According to Zhyhar, documents available to BELPOL, including engineering drawings, indicate that the site is implementing a project to create a full-cycle ammunition production facility, not a base for strategic missiles.
"This is not a storage facility and not a missile deployment area. This is an industrial facility designed to ensure mass production of ammunition, work in cooperation with Russia, and focus on the needs of the war against Ukraine," he noted.
Belarus does not produce any of the critically important components for explosives, making the plant dependent on imported technologies and materials. Russia and China are the main partners in the project.
"Russia supplies technological lines, components, handles personnel training and, evidently, will be the main supplier of explosives and gunpowder. China, according to our data, provides supply of the casting equipment line for the main parts of 122mm, participates in personnel training and supply of explosives. Negotiations are also underway with Iran and Pakistan," Zhyhar reported.
Additional facts, documents, and visual materials confirming the implementation of this project are presented in a BELPOL investigation published on Sunday on the organization's YouTube channel.
