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Minsk Automobile Plant denies contract with Ukrainian military

Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ) has denied that it contracted to supply vehicles to Ukrainian government forces that are fighting pro-Russian separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces.

As Syarhey Zakharevich, the acting head of sales at the state-owned company, told BelaPAN, MAZ supplies its equipment only to its distributors and partner plants in Ukraine and has never signed direct contracts with the Ukrainian military.

Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov wrote on Facebook earlier this week that the Ukrainian government had bought 52 pieces of MAZ equipment for its military operation against pro-Russian separatists. According to him, the hardware, namely, artillery tractors, platforms, trucks and “kungs” [standardized military vehicle module/trailer system],” is due to be delivered by August 30 and paid for upon delivery and testing. The contract is worth 43,170,000 Ukrainian hryvnias ($3.5 million), he said.