{"id":10885,"date":"2017-04-16T20:12:28","date_gmt":"2017-04-16T20:12:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/?p=10885"},"modified":"2017-04-16T20:12:28","modified_gmt":"2017-04-16T20:12:28","slug":"kazakh-trace-luhansk-cartridge-works-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/kazakh-trace-luhansk-cartridge-works-case\/","title":{"rendered":"A Kazakh trace in Luhansk Cartridge Works case"},"content":{"rendered":"

The publication of InformNapalm volunteer intelligence community, dated March 14, 2017, about the products of Luhansk Cartridge Works (LCW), including caliber 9\u00d719 mm ammunition, <\/strong>sold<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>in Georgia, caused some stir. Although InformNapalm only published some facts and made some assumptions, not intending to prove anything, the publication attracted many skeptical comments on forums and blogs claiming that it was impossible to export LCW products for sale elsewhere abroad.<\/strong><\/p>\n

However, our assumptions turned out to very close to the mark, which is confirmed by the materials, received by InformNapalm from Ukrainian Cyber Alliance (#UkrainianCyberAlliance, #UCA). In particular, we refer to the archive of documents from a partially cleaned up and abandoned mailbox, belonging to one of LCW managers. The correspondence analysis revealed some interesting facts.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Immediately after the partial occupation of Donbas and the proclamation of the pro-Kremlin puppet Luhansk People\u2019s Republic (LPR) in 2014, the issue of Luhansk Cartridge Works operation came to the fore.<\/p>\n

Thus, the order of Luhansk People\u2019s Republic Council of Ministers # 02-05\/153\/15 dated July 15, 2015 appointed a temporary administration to manage Private Joint Stock Company Luhansk Cartridge Works. M.V. Zheltobryukhov<\/a>, the former electrical supervisor of the factory, was appointed the Director of the company.<\/p>\n

However, in September and October, 2015 the LPR leadership, including I.A. Kornet, the head of the so-called Interior Ministry (letter of response # 8\/408 dated September 22, 2015) and G.N. Tsepkalo, the so-called Chairman of Council of Ministers,\u00a0(letter of response # 02-02 \/ 2216\/15 dated October 20, 2015) for some reason twice refused the LCW management to license the factory for the production and sale of ammunition.<\/p>\n

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At the same time, in October, Zheltobryukhov appeals to a certain \u201cX\u201d (apparently, Ihor Plotnitsky, the head of the LPR) and writes that \u201cthe situation at Luhansk Cartridge Works is critical and getting worse every day. The factory has practically ceased to operate, and specialists quit and go to Ukraine driven by financial problems\u201d. Zheltobryukhov requests to urgently resolve the issue of financial aid to the employees of the factory in order to keep professionals and allocate 270 thousand US dollars, and also to relaunch the factory as soon as possible.<\/p>\n

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Note: open-source data confirms that in this correspondence, the \u201cX\u201d means Ihor Plotnitsky, the leader of the LPR. In particular, there were <\/em>reports<\/em><\/a>\u00a0in October 2015, that Plotnitsky, prohibited to dismiss LCW employees and instructed to begin searching for the professionals for forced involvement in the production of ammunition.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Already in March 2016, some of the information outlets of Luhansk separatists announced the plant’s relaunch and even the capacity expansion. Andriy Marochko, the spokesman of the so-called LPR People\u2019s Militia, stated<\/a> that LCW fully met the ammunition demand of the \u201cpeople\u2019s militia\u201d.<\/p>\n

At the same time, in March 2016, Zheltobryukhov made the presentation to the separatist administration of Luhansk of the annual plan for staffing the production industry. The plan covered the personnel of various competences, from the mid-level and skilled blue-collar workers to white-collar employees.<\/p>\n

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Among the hacked documents, the scanned copies of personal documents (passport, driving license and heavy vehicle registration certificate) were found. The package belong belonged to a certain Valeriy Omilyanov, who on March 25, 2016 received a special annual permit from the so-called Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport of the LPR for \u201cdomestic and international transportation\u201d – apparently in the interests of LCW.<\/p>\n

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From other documents obtained, it follows that as of 2015, LCW already had sufficient manufacturing capacity to produce a number of ammunition types. That includes sports and hunting cartridges, which are mentioned in following volumes:<\/p>\n