Ukraine to assemble cruise missile engines for Russia in Belarus?

Ukrainian engines for Russian cruise missiles will now be produce at the Orsha Aircraft Repair Plant. Information about this alleged agreement between JSC Motor Sich with representatives of the State Military-Industrial Committee, concluded during a meeting in Kiev, appeared in the Ukrainian media last week.

It is about the transfer of manufacturing line for cruise missile small gas turbine engines from Ukrainian factory to Orsha. Supposedly, the issue is now being addressed and there is a package of documents for signing of the agreement being prepared.

Small size gas turbine engines for X-55 cruise missiles 

Have Ukrainians really decided to circumvent the ban on the delivery of its engines for X-55 cruise missiles to Russia, Euroradio asked the chairman of the Supervisory Board, the Motor Sich Director of Public Relations Anatol Malysh.

"This is utter nonsense! Nobody's moving anything. This is not a book that you can take with you: it is production, it's not only the machines -- it is the people," Anatoly Malysh' secretary told Euroradio.

Management of the Belarusian enterprises also could not confirm information about the transfer of manufacturing line for cruise missile engines from Zaporozhye to Orsha.

Orsha Aircraft Repair Plant: "We can not comment on these issues, since we have been given no instructions about this (preparation of plant and specialists to the transfer of line from Zaporozhye to Orsha - Euroradio)so far we have not received this task."

Nevertheless, the formal owner of Motor Sich met with Lukashenka a month ago. They partucularly met to discuss the Belarusian "missile program." The essence of the meeting was well defined by Belarusian leader himself:

"I want you to account for the current situation - it is hard to do business now in Ukraine- you need to work with Russia through Belarus. I am not even hiding it, it's right. I even told the Russian president: "I will invite all Ukrainians who want to come to me to live, to work with us, with you through us. And you must understand it," said the head of Belarus at the meeting with Vyacheslav Baguslayev, held on October 16.

Vyacheslav Baguslaev

Ukrainian manufacturers of rocket engines have really no choice but to transfer production to Belarus, says Belarusian military expert Alyaksandr Alesin.

Alyaksandr Alesin: "According to the data, Motor Sich has accumulated on its warehouses the finished products that they cannot deliver in Russia, it is worth hundreds of millions of dollars. This is a very large company on the European scale, its downtime brings huge losses. Many highly qualified professionals are out of work, and there is a great risk that they may not only lose their job, but immigrate to Russia."

If the final assembly stage of rocket engines takes place in Belarus, they will automatically become Belarusian produced.  Alyaksandr Alesin notes here that formally nobody violates anything this way, and all remain in the win.

Alyaksandr Alesin: "Belarus breaks no norms by international standards ... Moreover, there is no ban on the delivery of units, products, aggregates. As for the qualifications of Belarusian employees, I think it is not difficult for them to assemble the aircraft engine from prefabricated parts. So from a technical point of view it (assembling of Ukrainian engines for Russian cruise missiles - Euroradio) is possible, from the standpoint of Motor Sich - it is desirable, and from the standpoint of Russia - it is also desirable. After all, despite the fact that they are bold enough to state that they could produce such engines in Omsk, it's not so simple. Therefore, I believe that this turn of events is possible, and the recent visit of Mr. Baguslayev to Belarus leader was precisely about this issue."

Alyaksandr Alesin

Probably here we are not dealing with the transfer of line on "Manufacturing of small gas turbine engines" to Orsha. After all, it is not necessary for "screwdriver assembly". As it is not necessary for Ukrainian specialists to resettle in Belarus. There should even be no anguish about possibly assisting in arming Russia during the Ukrainian crisis, says Alesin. After all, the X-55 missiles, that have their engines made at Motor Sich, cannot be used in military operations in the Donbass -- there are cheaper means for this, "calms down" Belarusian expert.

Cruise missiles X-55 with the engine from Motor Sich

And look inside Orsha Aircraft Repair Plant - photo from the official website of the enterprise.

Photo: Zmitser Lukashuk, militaryrussia.ru, oarz.by, crime.in.ua