The information has been confirmed by Piorun’s Polish maker, the state-run PGZ Group, the defence24.pl website reported.
PGZ CEO Sebastian Chwałek said at the weekend: “We are receiving reports about the successes of the Piorun missile. It was designed to destroy slow-moving targets, such as helicopters, and low-flying targets, yet it turns out there are confirmed takedowns of combat planes, and even a cruise missile.”
Chwałek added: “It’s worth emphasising that Ukrainians only possess the man-portable version of the Piorun systems. We are receiving more and more inquiries about this weapon.”
Training for Ukrainian soldiers, maintenance for tanks
Chwałek also said that “PGZ trains Ukrainian soldiers and technicians and collects feedback about its products used by the Ukrainian army.”
He declared his company’s willingness to service Ukraine’s aviation equipment, radars and rocket equipment, according to defence24.pl.
Chwałek said: “One of the forms of support we have offered Ukraine from the beginning is the maintenance of hardware ... both equipment transferred by Poland and that donated by other countries.”
He added: “Recently a decision has been made to establish a maintenance facility for Leopard 2 tanks at PGZ’s Bumar-Łabędy plant in the southern city of Gliwice and at the Military Auto Works (WZM) factory in Poznań, which services engines.”
Ukrainian troops praise Polish Grot rifles: CEO
Chwałek also said that Ukrainian troops “are very happy with the performance of PGZ’s Grot assault rifles,” defence24.pl reported.
He added: “One of this weapon’s assets is that it can fire practically any kind of 5.56 mm ammunition, regardless of its maker, which cannot be said about all the Western systems. The Ukrainians, who use ammunition from all over the world, of varying quality, appreciate this.”
The Polish company "is receiving a lot of inquiries about the Grot rifle from Ukraine’s other uniformed services besides the army, as well as from other armies around the world, which have become aware that this weapon is battle-tested,” according to Chwałek.
Chwałek said the feedback from Ukrainian soldiers “proves that we have succeeded in designing and producing quality equipment.”
He added: "Reports from the battlefields of Ukraine are being used to refine our products ... We are already working on a new version of the Piorun air-defence missile with a longer range and improvements across a range of parameters. Every weapon must be renewed from time to time.”
In April, following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Poland, PGZ announced that its subsidiary Bumar-Łabędy and Ukraine’s Ukroboronprom had established a centre for the repair of Kyiv’s Soviet-era T-64 tanks, defence24.pl reported.
In the future, the Polish plant will also provide maintenance and modernisation of the PT-91 and T-72 tanks transferred to Ukraine by Poland, as well as the servicing of the Leopard 2A4 tanks supplied to Ukraine by Western allies, defence24.pl reported.
Tuesday is day 454 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(pm/gs)
Source: defence24.pl
