Saint-Petersburg. June 17. INTERFAX - Russia will complete a plant for the production of Kalashnikov assault rifles in Venezuela, the owner of the Kalashnikov group of companies Alan Lushnikov said.
"By the way, we will complete the plant for our colleagues in Venezuela, this will definitely happen," Lushnikov said, speaking at a panel discussion at the SPIEF.
On May 27, the CEO of the Kalashnikov concern, Vladimir Lepin, told Interfax that logistics problems were preventing the production of AK-103 assault rifles and ammunition at the plant in Venezuela this year.
On October 5, 2021, the envoy of the President of Venezuela, Adan Chavez, announced that the construction of a plant for the production of Kalashnikov assault rifles in Venezuela is scheduled to be completed in the second half of 2022.
On August 24, 2021, the head of Rosoboronexport, Alexander Mikheev, told Interfax that a plant for the licensed production of AK-103 and ammunition in Venezuela is being built, we are talking about the final stage of work.
He said that taking into account the significant amount of Russian military products purchased by Venezuela earlier, much attention has recently been paid to the organization of its after-sales service and the creation of the necessary service and technical infrastructure.
The head of Rostec, Sergey Chemezov, stated in 2019 that the United States was interfering with the construction of a plant for the production of Kalashnikov assault rifles in Venezuela.
"We are also building a factory for the production of Kalashnikov assault rifles and ammunition. Because of the sanctions, construction is constantly being slowed down - then the electricity will be turned off there, then the components do not give the opportunity to bring machines," the head of Rostec noted earlier.
"There was a period - a month stood, it was impossible to work. The electricity was cut off there, it was impossible to work. And then the Americans wouldn't let us get machines there. They were still being delivered on the sly," Chemezov told reporters at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in 2019.
It was officially reported that Venezuela is the largest operator of Russian weapons and military equipment in the Latin American region. Russia provided Venezuela with a state loan for the purchase of military equipment. The amount of contracts in the field of military-technical cooperation between Russia and Venezuela was estimated at $ 11 billion.
