Security Service of Ukraine says attempt to transfer factory to Russia was stopped Monday, June 6, 2016 1:43:00 PM

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced that it has foiled an attempt to dismantle and export equipment from the Kharkiv Tractor Plant (KTZ) to Russia.

"According to an order by KTZ’s owners, the new General Director of the company appointed in March 2016 has is preparing to dismantle the foundry’s equipment for export to Russia. The technical and design documentation for the production plant was prepared to be smuggled abroad,” stated the report.

The property of the plant and its accounts were seized. The SBU indicated that thanks to the timely intervention, they managed to prevent the "loss of production equipment and unique design documentation." In addition, as a result of the dismantling about a thousand qualified employees would have lost their jobs, the news agency RBC notes.

"The implementation of these plans would lead to a complete cessation of the activities of the Kharkiv Tractor Plant, which was a planned placement by order of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine," the Security Service explained.

The CEO of the company, whose name is not mentioned, is suspected of planning this sabotage. The report says that he is wanted and the court has already given permission for him to be detained.

On April 27th, Ukrainian businessman Oleksandr Yaroslavskiy, a controlling shareholder of Kharkiv Tractor Plant, was ranked 8th place in the Ukrainian version of Forbes with an estimated fortune of $721 million. According to the information on the Kharkiv Tractor Plant’s website, the General Director of the company is Andriy Koval.

Kiev has repeatedly stated that the industrial enterprises in the self-proclaimed republics of the Donbas have been dismantled. As reported by Liga.net in March 2016 the Main Administration Office in Kiev reported that the equipment from twelve plants in the Luhansk region and six plants in the Donetsk region were taken to Russia. Moreover, eleven factories were dismantled for scrap.

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