Explosion of a Neglected Problem

Hryhory Kriuchkov, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada’s National Security and Defense Committee, said Tuesday in parliament, when discussing the explosions at the ammunitions depot in Zaporizhzhia oblast, that “a great misfortune has occurred,” that it had attracted keen public attention, and quick and authentic information was required. “Even now it is obvious that the human factor is involved in what happened at Melitopol and earlier at Artemivsk,” he declared, adding that “the key problem” was found in discipline, responsibility, and control in the Armed Forces of Ukraine; also that private businesses were allowed to take part in the disposal of ammunitions, and that they were least of concerned about safety arrangements. Hryhory Kriuchkov stressed that the Defense Ministry should study the situation at length and depth; at the same time, this problem could not be solved without adequate funding. “Our Armed Forces are at a very complicated stage in their development, in conjunction with the military reform,” he stated, adding that the situation with the storage and disposal of ammunitions is only part of the existing problem. He said he hoped that parliament would pass a bill on the Armed Forces’ reform.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Yevhen Marchuk does not rule out the possibility that one of the reasons for the fire erupting at the ammunitions depot in Zaporizhzhia oblast was “a deliberate act.” He feels certain that the investigation currently underway will establish the guilty parties before long: “I think that they will quickly figure out the leads, since those that perpetrated this at the local level are alive and are all in custody.” The minister said another lead involves negligence on the part of the depot’s command and personnel, smoking on the premises. Defense Ministry records show that the ammunitions depot was built in the 1950s.

COMMENTS

Heorhy MANCHULENKO, Our Ukraine:

Lest we experience other accidents like the one at the rockets and artillery munitions depot near Melitopol, every serviceman must be made to live by the regulations every day, every minute. Lack of discipline is the main cause of the tragedies over the past several years. I’d rather this cabinet attended specific matters, rather than bask in the high ratings of the head of government, particularly matters relating to national security and defense. We hear that there isn’t enough money for defense, but that the 2003 budget program was overfulfilled by almost four billion hryvnias. The question is, Why not spend some of that additional money on the Armed Forces? Those wielding power are not willing to concern themselves with military problems and openly admit that yes, we made a mistake last year, but we’ll correct the situation next year. The 2004 budget has actually the same problem; a great deal of money remains unallocated through the budget, that’s why we lack funds to supply the most pressing needs, including those of the army.

Oleh ZARUBINSKY, NDP:

Guaranteeing the safety of all citizens is the highest duty of the state. That’s why the people pay the taxes and consciously impose limitations on their freedom. What happened at Melitopol should be regarded at a wide angle. I don’t agree that the main thing now is finding who left a burning cigarette butt at that ammunition depot and mete out the severest of punishments. I think that the current president is the top of the iceberg of risks threatening citizens’ lives in Ukraine. There are other dangers stemming from weapons stockpiled on our territory, among them artillery shells, warheads, and so on, as well as from civilian projects, primarily chemical facilities. A simple analysis shows that the level of citizens’ safety in Ukraine is considerably lower than, for example, in Germany, even Poland. So what the Ukrainian authorities have been doing, since the establishment of national independence, to keep our armed forces in an adequate condition in general, and all those military warehouses and depots in particular, so as to prevent a situation in which a cigarette butt can cause a disaster. The explosion at the ammunition depot in Zaporizhzhia oblast is a consequence of a systemic shortcoming in this country — in other words, those officials that should adequately discharge their functions, in accordance with a social contract. By and large, all the Ukrainian cabinets are responsible [for the accident], failing to pay serious enough attention to the armed forces. One can look up every year’s budget to see how much had to be allocated for the military needs and how much the government actually provided. Therefore, I would loath to see rash and superficial military cadre decisions made under the circumstances; this would be a typically Soviet approach. Today, we have another evidence that the military reform is a vital necessity; Ukraine doesn’t need an army ranking first in Europe by manpower, but being placed thirteenth in the world; we need a professional army capable of meeting all modern challenges.