Nibulon may become center for localization of shipbuilding in Ukraine – Deputy PM

Ukrainian military shipbuilding is in a critical situation, and its restoration is planned from localization projects and one of the centers may become the shipbuilding assets of Nibulon, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Strategic Industries Oleh Urusky has said.

"Nibulon is developing – we can do localization there and the building of missile boats and [Turkish] corvettes," he said at a briefing in Kyiv.

Urusky clarified that, in fact, there remained two shipbuilding enterprises in Ukroboronprom state concern: State Research and Design Shipbuilding Center with about 200 workers who need to be involved in the design of missile boats and corvettes within the framework of localization, and Mykolaiv Shipbuilding Plant.

According to the deputy prime minister, the plant is not building anything, all its shipyards are blocked by the unresolved fate of the Ukraine cruiser for decades and the legal battle with the Greek company Laskaridis.

"They survive only through repairs," he said.

He recalled that the large Chornomorsky (Black Sea) Shipyard, which began the construction of a corvette according to the Ukrainian project, was privatized, and the corvette project was frozen in 2014.

"As far as I understand, the Ministry of Defense does not see the expediency of continuing the building of this corvette in its own interests. The issue of Turkey and how to use the developments on our corvette is being considered," the official noted.

Source: www.en.interfax.com.ua