Belarus building major ammunition plant with Russian and Chinese support – BELPOL
Belarus is implementing a large-scale, classified state project to establish full-cycle production of artillery and rocket ammunition that could directly supply the Russian army in its war against Ukraine.
This was stated in a comment to Ukrinform by Vladimir Zhihar, an official representative of the Belarusian opposition initiative BELPOL.
“According to information available to us, since November 2023, Belarus has been implementing a classified state project codenamed Uchastok, which involves the creation of full-cycle production of Soviet-caliber artillery and rocket ammunition – 122 mm and 152 mm. The project is strategically linked to the interests of Russia’s Ministry of Defense, as the final products are intended for export and use in the war against Ukraine,” Zhihar said.
According to him, the project is expected to be completed by December 2026 and could significantly strengthen the material and technical support of Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine. Its implementation is based on a secret order by Aleksandr Lukashenko, and the key operator is a specially established entity, the Casing Components Plant, which is expected to become a core element of a new ammunition manufacturing sector in Belarus. The plant was founded by VolatAvto and the state-owned Precision Electromechanics Plant, and is overseen by the State Military-Industrial Committee of Belarus.
“We view this project as a tool for drawing Belarus deeper into the war. This is not only about political support for Russia, but about direct material and technical support for its armed aggression. Given the product range and projected volumes, the end consumer will be the Russian Federation,” Zhihar emphasized.
According to BELPOL, the production facility is being built in Slutsk district of Minsk region, on the site of a former military arsenal near the villages of Pavlovka and Shishchitsy. Earlier, some media outlets had suggested that a classified military base might be under construction there, potentially linked to the deployment of Russian strategic missile systems, including the Oreshnik complex. Such assumptions were based on the scale of construction, the nature of the infrastructure, and the site’s secrecy.
However, as the BELPOL representative told Ukrinform, the actual purpose of the site is different. According to him, documents in BELPOL’s possession, including engineering drawings, indicate that the facility is intended specifically for full-cycle ammunition production rather than a base for strategic missiles.
“This is not a storage facility or a missile deployment area. It is an industrial site designed for mass production of ammunition, operating in cooperation with Russia and oriented toward the needs of the war against Ukraine,” he said.
Zhihar also noted that Belarus does not produce any of the critical components required for explosives, making the plant dependent on imported technologies and materials. The main partners in the project are Russia and China.
“Russia supplies production lines and components, is involved in personnel training, and will evidently be the main supplier of explosives and propellants. China, according to our information, is supplying filling lines for 122 mm warheads, participating in personnel training, and providing explosives. Negotiations are also underway with Iran and Pakistan,” Zhihar said.
Additional facts, documents, and visual materials confirming the implementation of this project are presented in a BELPOL investigation published on the organization’s YouTube channel on Sunday.
As previously reported by Ukrinform, documents obtained by BELPOL indicate that the Belarusian enterprise SVT Plant, part of the Amkodor holding, is directly involved in fulfilling Russian defense orders, including servicing electronics for Russia’s intercontinental ballistic missile systems.
Photo: svoboda.org (RFE/RL)