Military-Industrial Complex Employee Day in Ukraine Date in the current year: April 13, 2024

The defense industry of Ukraine has a long history. During the Soviet era, Ukraine was responsible for 25% of research and 17% of production of the Soviet defense industry. During the first years of Ukraine’s independence, the country’s defense industry experienced a bit of a decline, but then took off again.

The enterprises of Ukraine’s defense industry make up Ukrainian Defense Industry (formerly named Ukroboronprom), a state-owned conglomerate founded in 2010. Since 2014, its main focus has been the production of weapons, munitions, and vehicles to be used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Russo-Ukrainian War. In 2022, Ukroboronprom signed an agreement to develop and manufacture weapons in cooperation with a number of NATO countries.

Military-Industrial Complex Employee Day is observed on April 13 to commemorate the day when the Russian missile cruiser Moskva was struck by two Neptune missiles. The Moskva was the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy during the first months of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. On the first day of the invasion, it attacked Snake Island in the Black Sea; the last communication made by the island’s garrison was “Russian warship, go fuck yourself!”, which became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance.

On April 13, 2022, the Moskva was hit by two R-360 Neptune anti-ship cruise missiles developed by the Kyiv Luch Design Bureau and produced by the Artem State Joint-Stock Holding Company. The strike resulted in a fire that caused munitions to explode and eventually led to the ship’s sinking. The Russian Ministry of Defense denied the strike and claimed that the ship had sank due to a fire of undisclosed origin and stormy weather. However, the US Department of Defense confirmed the Ukrainian strike.

The attack on the Moskva was the first confirmed successful use of the Neptune missiles in combat, so it seemed fitting to designate its anniversary as the professional holiday of all employees of Ukraine’s military-industrial complex. The main goals of Military-Industrial Complex Employee Day are to highlight the importance of strengthening the country’s defense potential and recognize the people responsible for this task.

The first celebration of Military-Industrial Complex Employee Day was held on April 13, 2023. President Zelenskyy delivered a speech and bestowed state awards on employees of the country’s military-industrial complex who had distinguished themselves during the war. The ceremony also included a minute of silence to honor the memory of all military-industrial complex employees who had died on the front lines and in the rear while doing their jobs.