Dubnica nad Vahom July 18 (TASR) - Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD) in a ceremony at state-owned enterprise ZTS-Special in Dubnica nad Vahom (Trencin region) handed over a new technological line for drilling barrels TASR learnt on Thursday.        The new line is expected to completely restore the production of barrels for artillery systems create new jobs as well as bring back the former glory of the Slovak arms industry.        The production line is part of a €10 million project that will mean a complete renewal of the technology for the production of 100- to 155-millimetre barrels at ZTS-Special         "It'll bring new jobs increased capacity and the ability to respond to market demands If we compare ourselves with other countries this place and the people involved in the production of the barrels are unique There are perhaps only four or five places in Europe that have this technological capability Cannons from 30 to 155 millimetres can be produced here which you won't find anywhere else in the neighbourhood That's why we need to invest in the development of such enterprises," stressed the minister The Slovak Defence Ministry has invested €10m in the complete replacement of the manufacturing machinery to make artillery gun barrels in the 100 - 155mm calibre range at ZTS Špeciál This is the first step towards modernising and expanding Slovakia's defence industrial base which will not only create new jobs on site but also scale up its manufacturing capacity and ability to respond to increased market demands Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Robert Kaliňák and Director General of DMD Group Miroslav Sim announced at a press conference in the armament production facility in Dubnica nad Váhom Robert Kaliňák along with Miroslav Sim introduced a new machine for forming internal rifling grooves in gun barrels for artillery systems This will soon be followed by modern machines for lathe “ZTS Špeciál is unique for its ability to produce guns from 30mm to 155mm calibre What is produced here and the people who work here are truly exceptional and there are only a few production sites with such technological possibilities in the whole of Europe,” Minister Kaliňák said the Slovak Defence Ministry is interested in expanding production in all of the defence companies that fall under the MOD's remit KONŠTRUKTA - Defence and ZTS Špeciál – which belong to state-owned DMD Group – form the backbone of the State's support within the SVK defence industry Separate technology replacement programmes have been designed for them ensuring that they will keep developing further and guarantee permanent jobs “This is about production with a high added value There are three regions that are historically tied to armament production in Slovakia – that is why we want to restore Považie Turiec and the surroundings of Detva to their former glory,” Minister Kaliňák said what makes Slovakia most interesting for many markets is that a country of our size is capable of producing today's most sought-after munitions in the range from 30mm to 155mm calibre we are also capable of producing 30mm - 155mm weapon systems for direct or indirect artillery support You will not find this anywhere in the surrounding countries it is important to invest in developing these companies and in improving the working conditions there Only in this way will we carry this tradition into the future,” he emphasised ZTS Špeciál will accommodate an entire production line under Phase 1 As modern barrel manufacturing equipment replaces the outdated barrel-making machinery the production line may be put into operation still this year ZTS Špeciál will be capable of manufacturing up to 10 gun barrels a month the number of orders far exceeds our armament production capacity the expansion of armament production is an absolutely necessary step,” Mr Kaliňák said Slovakia – This is the story of a little boy who didn’t want to go to bed He had school the next day and there were threats from his father that escalated the longer he stayed awake but little Tomas refused to go to bed regardless It wasn’t to watch television or to wait up for Santa Claus, but rather because he wanted to listen in on the near nightly conversations in the kitchen between his father Jan and his older brothers Marek and Tibor. They would chat until the wee hours of the morning about hockey, whether it was games the two brothers played or the NHL achievements of their Slovak compatriots named Bondra “Go to bed or I’ll kill you!” his father would yell Tomas Tatar shared a bedroom with Tibor He inherited the bed of his oldest brother Marek who spent a few years playing hockey in Canada and moved into his own place when he came home There was a punching bag hanging from the ceiling and a red maple leaf painted on the white ceiling to acknowledge the country where hockey was taken as seriously as it was in that apartment At one end of the room there was a hockey net that Tomas used to work on his shot with a plastic ball “We were all in bed at five o’clock in the morning and he’s still hitting the crossbar He was a boy who lost sleep because of hockey the bathroom where the door remained open so the discussion in the kitchen wouldn’t be interrupted in case one of the participants had to use the facilities; the apartment where Tomas Tatar grew up is still there today The interior has been renovated to the point where it is essentially unrecognizable but his mother Maria has insisted on remaining in the same place where Tomas grew up Her sons took off in various directions to live their lives but they have never been far away for long; even the one who makes his living 6,500 kilometres away always returns when he can and leaves a piece of his heart behind every time he leaves and finally my parents called me home,” Tatar said Then tried to learn something for school to get my homework done This was going on for probably four years.” There is only one in the town of roughly 25,000 people whether it was for his own practices or to watch games “I could probably walk with my eyes closed.” When you’re a kid and your two older brothers are local stars and you hear crowds chanting their names who aspired to play professional soccer before becoming an engineer that captured Tatar’s imagination and gave his life early direction Tomas you can be better in the school or what can you do after?” Tibor said If it were not for its large ammunition factory Dubnica nad Váhom would go completely unnoticed “ordinarily dull” town that unless you have business to do or relatives to see there it would probably never cross your mind to visit.  The verdict rendered by an online tourism guide is pretty damning When he hears the description of his hometown Tatar breaks out laughing and nods in agreement He can’t argue with the unflattering review I was growing up there and it’s not as big so I could walk everywhere.” Dubnica is not nearly as bad as the review suggests might conjure up sad images of the country’s communist past but the little town banked on a hill has large trees deep sporting roots and a relaxed pace that has a certain charm The factory was the primary – if not only – employer for many years; it was the reason why Dubnica grew from a village to a town ZŤS gave its employees houses to attract them to this town to manufacture guns and tanks then the Soviets and finally for the state Before becoming a lieutenant in the army and being transferred to Trencin The fall of communism at the end of the 1980s was also the beginning of the end of the demand for arms continued to sponsor hockey and soccer teams But while his brothers grew up in a system where modest equipment was provided for any kid who wanted to play it was a different reality by the time Tatar began playing hockey Marek Tatar says he once bought equipment for his youngest brother with his winnings in a professional poker tournament Opening day Detroit Tigers 🐅🐅🐅 with my brothers. #opening #people #tailgate #fun #greatweather #bros #family Une publication partagée par Tomas Tatar (trto90) (@tomastatar90) le le 1 Avr 2014 à 5 h 15 m PDT hockey was less accessible to everyone and Dubnica was unable to hold up its end of the rivalry with Trencin but because it’s such a small country there’s no way they could have sponsors to have both teams in the highest league,” Tatar said the sponsors from my town then went there too so they can’t keep up to have both teams (in the top league) so our team eventually slipped away we were only maybe for four years in the highest league.” like other young players in the HK Dubnica system transferred to play for Trencin’s U18 team It is important to understand that when a kid starts playing hockey in Slovakia as soon as he signs up and steps on the ice he becomes officially tied to his local club team he belongs to the club that gave him his first opportunity to play organized hockey If the kid wants to play elsewhere for whatever reason he needs to first get the permission of his club If he were to become very good and other teams began showing interest in him it is still his home club that would require compensation to acquire his rights an exception to the rule; if the kid goes to school in another city his home club can’t block him from joining the club in that city a year after he had his first taste of the Slovak U18 league He left Dubnica to go to school in Trencin where the caliber of hockey was considerably higher “I was 14 and the oldest guys were 17,” he said of his beginnings in U18 And then I played the U20 at 16 and I won the goal and scoring title This is where Tatar became a victim of circumstance a time when smaller players were still being viewed with skepticism in the game When Tatar was staying up late at night to eavesdrop on the men talking hockey in the kitchen he dreamed of becoming Steve Yzerman or Pavel Bure when he understood he would need to set himself apart despite his physical limitations Tatar would need to force his way to the NHL because no one seemed willing to give him a chance “They just kept telling me you’re too small they never took me to the national team,” Tatar said It was not as if the Slovak hockey system was pumping out hot prospects every year The generation of players that gave Slovak hockey its identity was aging and there was no one coming up to take the baton Marek Tatar felt his brother’s transfer to Trencin where some of the organization’s veterans had once played with him Marek’s friend Pavol Demitra was part of Trencin management and the conditions were in place to help his little brother to reach his potential “When you play for juniors they can pick you up anytime to play for them they put us back to the juniors,” Marek said “Tomas never got the chance to even practice with them.” was that Trencin would have to buy Tatar’s rights if they wanted to call him up to the men’s team so Tatar spent two key development years spinning his wheels in a league he was terrorizing He ultimately transferred to the club in Zvolen who stepped up to purchase Tatar’s rights from HK Dubnica and promised him a spot on its senior team but their offer was nowhere near competitive enough but it was never about the money,” Marek said It’s better for him to play in Trencin because so many players go to NHL.’ And I said They didn’t let him practice with them and he was so pissed off.’” It was that first half season playing for the men’s team in Zvolen that earned Tatar a spot on the Slovak national team that would compete at the 2009 world junior championships in Ottawa Had he stayed in Trencin there was no way Tatar would have had the opportunity to prove himself to the national coaches He would not have gone to the world juniors Marek Tatar spent most of his hockey career playing in Slovakia and says his team was unable to pay him his entire salary almost every year he played I know from other players it’s still bad,” he said nothing happening and the money… they would leave you hungry for months.” “I think the main reason why Slovak hockey is where it is now is because a lot of stuff is corrupt,” Tomas said I’m pretty sure every country in the world battles a little bit of corruption “At some point we were ranked in hockey maybe fifth or sixth in the world Corruption, nepotism, bribery; it is not just a perception of a handful of people, it is the near unanimous opinion expressed by Slovak hockey players over the years. Defenceman Andrej Sekera, for instance, spoke openly about the corruption back in 2014 when he was playing for the Carolina Hurricanes “It just shows that something was going right way at a certain point in time, but nowadays it’s corruption,” Sekera told the Hurricanes website “Everyone tries to steal money any way they can Many say they’ve been encouraged by Martin Kohut’s mandate as president of the Slovak hockey federation did not inspire anywhere near the same level of confidence forced Nemecek to resign in 2016 a few months after he was re-elected as federation president The players were threatening to boycott international competitions unless there was a change in leadership at the federation “The issue of corruption in sport resonated in my conversations with several young players,” Kohut wrote in a blog post a few weeks after the world juniors scandal “It is a society-wide problem and when I came to the federation I felt it was one of the serious problems of the hockey community I can’t imagine that some of the people we brought to the federation in the past two years would be corrupt It would be a huge disappointment for me.” Slovak clubs still have tight budgets and talent slips through the cracks as a result not to mention the growing number of families who simply can’t afford to pay the ever-growing costs of playing the game how big is that net where you guys can pick the talent,” Tatar said then maybe three times more kids will be playing and it’s tough after for the national team.” The decline of Slovak hockey over the last 15 years had some minor blips of optimism sprinkled in like the bronze medal at the 2015 world juniors or the silver at the 2012 world championships was tarnished by the fact not a single Slovak was taken in that year’s NHL draft To paint a picture of the decline of NHL caliber players coming out of Slovakia consider that there were 25 Slovaks who played at least 100 NHL games between 1995 and 2004 there were 39 Slovaks drafted between 1995 and 2004 who played at least one NHL game; since 2005 “Hossa, Zdeno Chara, Demitra and (Jozef) Stumpel – and I would probably even put Gaborik in that older group – and those guys, they were iconic on their NHL teams. Chara still is,” said former Czech defenceman Jiri Fischer, who was involved in drafting and developing Tatar for the Detroit Red Wings “I think that’s the last guard that was raised in the old communist and post-communist regime where I think the system was different “So now it’s the new guard that’s going to start to shape what Slovak hockey is going to be for the next decade hiring Miroslav Satan as general manager of the national team… Now they’re shaping themselves Tomas is part of that transition because he’s experienced both (systems).” At the world championships hosted by Slovakia last month Tatar was not only the offensive engine of the national team who guided the younger players and made sure everyone on the bench was on the same page “I played with Tomas when he was a young player,” Satan said during the world championships He is fun to be around; he likes to have fun in the dressing room he’s one of our leaders and guys look up to him and they probably want to hear what he has to say when things go well and when things don’t go well And they probably are learning from him as he was learning from our generation.” being an elite athlete representing your country was practically the only way to cross the border But it has recently become the opposite; leaving Slovakia is the best avenue to reaching elite levels in hockey Marek Tatar consistently drilled this into his youngest brother’s head if your plan is to stay and make a living in this country…you’ll never make something other than just killing the time,” Marek said There was a time when Slovaks were flocking to North America to play major junior hockey the Chicoutimi Saguenéens of the QMJHL alone welcomed Lubos Bartecko The captain of the Slovak national team at the worlds last month played one year of junior hockey for the Halifax Mooseheads and had 311 points in 435 NHL games from 1999 to 2008 the thought of attracting attention overseas seemed ridiculous because of the lack of attention he was garnering in his home country “I don’t think I would have a chance to go there,” Tatar said I don’t think the (Slovak) junior team knew who I was.” When he arrived in Ottawa for the world juniors it was as if he appeared out of nowhere to the NHL scouting world Tatar scored seven goals and four assists in seven games to help Slovakia eliminate the United States and finish fourth in the tournament “He was drafted because he had a really nice world juniors tournament,” his brother Tibor said “He was not drafted because of this (Slovak) league Tatar was eventually taken in the first round of the CHL European draft by the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL, but it came too late. Tatar had just been taken by the Detroit Red Wings with the No. 60 pick of the draft in the summer of 2009 and the Rangers thought there was a chance Tatar would come over to play the 09-10 season with them Except the Red Wings signed Tatar immediately and sent him to their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids It’s not difficult to understand why Tatar’s first trip to Montreal for the 2009 draft is a bit blurry in his memory It was the culmination of a crazy year of change one where he emerged from obscurity and his stock skyrocketed It all happened so quickly Tatar can’t even remember walking down from the stands at the Bell Centre to meet the Red Wings brass after they took him with the last pick of the second round “That whole year was just crazy,” Tatar said these junior leagues they kind of get you ready to become a pro and ready for all of it I started playing men’s league here as a 17-year-old you’re going to be at the Detroit Red Wings training camp I better start learning English!’ But it just was boom and all of a sudden I was by myself in Grand Rapids looking for an apartment… So it was just super fast and super quick.” The tragic crash of the flight carrying the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey team in 2011 was a crushing blow in Slovakia because it claimed the life of Demitra the pride of Dubnica who had gone to finish his career in the KHL The school in Dubnica that offered a sports-study program was renamed in Demitra’s honour while in Trencin the rink was re-named the Pavol Demitra Ice Stadium Demitra had a nice relationship with the entire Tatar family But that loss paled in comparison to the death of Jan Tatar in 2014 Toughening up his kids was a central goal of Jan Tatar’s parenting During the dark winter mornings when Marek and Tibor had to go to practice at 6 a.m their father told them that if they were old often to watch television at night then they were old enough to walk to the rink by themselves this was a way to build character in his children you call me when you score three goals,” Marek said I don’t want to come and watch you and be… how do you say that?” “He didn’t want to be shamed at us if we played bad,” Tibor said Tatar had it easy with their father because the years had softened him and he had much more time to spend with him we would play tennis and there’s no way he would let us win When Tatar was a young boy he was often brought to tears by his father’s tough love when it came to sports But as he grew older and his father began to see youngest son was getting the better of him every psychological tactic was on the table to challenge him You can’t go out tonight unless you give me this point “I really appreciate it when I win something,” Tatar said Tatar often described his father as the most important person in his life and he was devastated by his death in January of 2014 When he had to leave for Red Wings training camp the previous fall playing hard in a basketball game at a community barbecue that summer But liver disease was diagnosed not long afterwards and took hold quickly to the point that operating was no longer even an option He returned home first during the NHL’s Christmas break and again three weeks later Just before leaving, on the day after his father’s death, Tatar scored a goal against the Los Angeles Kings and his trademark enthusiasm was replaced by something far more meaningful might not have done everything it could to help Tatar get to where he is now But his attachment to his community and country has never wavered It says a lot about his character and who he is a window into two sides of his personality which define him as a hockey player Tied to all the obstacles that were placed in his way when he was younger that he should be on the national team or in the NHL when no one else believed it It is that desire that manifested itself again this season, and the Canadiens were the big beneficiaries “I talked to him when he was in Vegas and I know that the way it went because he’s got the inner drive and inner fight he looked at it as a challenge,” Jiri Fischer said “He looked at it as ‘I’m going to show everybody; I’m going to prove everybody wrong and use this as a motivation.’ Because he did not have success in Vegas He was a healthy scratch for almost half of the playoffs Obviously they had a phenomenal run last year I think the fan base in Montreal wasn’t exactly knowing what to think before the season started made Tatar one of the most important forwards on the team His production might have been foreseeable but his contribution to how the team played as a whole was far less so But an even bigger part of Tatar’s personality the opposite side of that chip on his shoulder is how much fun he has whenever he is on the ice The word “enthusiasm” comes up over and over whenever people talk about him his game has always been based on major enthusiasm playing with a lot of enthusiasm and scoring,” Fischer said That’s why he got drafted in the second round I think NHL teams were looking for bigger players but I remember that before the draft we were talking about him with our Czech scout Vladimir Havluj but a guy that just comes to play every night who wants the puck and wants to make things happen.” That enthusiasm defines his personality on the ice Tatar was immediately embraced by the Canadiens because of it “I want to be happy,” Tatar said with a shrug you know; there’s nothing worse then when you’re upset about something Maybe somebody say I overreact when I score a goal Tatar’s social nature comes out even more in Dubnica the best athlete to come out of there since Demitra and they don’t care if I play hockey or not,” Tatar said I know most of the people and we talk about everything I’m going to end up with somebody sitting there and talking Tatar has remained loyal to a place where his father once served as deputy mayor Jan Tatar asked his son toward the end of his life to maintain that loyalty Even if he’s bought a residence in Bratislava Tatar made something immediately clear to her he would be spending half his time in Dubnica Tatar opened a gym in 2016 in his hometown largely because he wanted a place where he could do all his offseason training under the same roof now I can’t imagine – and I think a large portion of people back in my town cannot imagine – to not have the gym there,” he said either if it’s CrossFit or the spinning group Even on days he’s finished his training at 11 a.m. he can linger around that gym until mid-afternoon just to hang out with that community Tatar might not have physically grown much since his teen years but the man he has become can’t be ignored as easily as his game was back in those days the new face of Dubnica and has the charisma to carry that status on his shoulders if he finds himself talking hockey with someone Tatar should take a quick glance around him Marc Antoine Godin is a senior writer at The Athletic Montreal, which he joined in 2017. Previously, Marc Antoine worked for 17 years at La Presse newspaper, the last 10 as a Montreal Canadiens beat writer. Follow Marc Antoine on Twitter @MAGodin Poland will hold presidential elections on May 18 as the country faces key debates over social policy and national security that could shape its political trajectory The annual report said Russia is using aggressive tactics such as unauthorized airspace incursions and close encounters with NATO ships and aircraft including Iranian-designed Shahed-type drones located about 70 kilometers northwest of Donetsk remains one of the most fiercely contested sectors of the front where Russia has concentrated its main offensive efforts since March  (Updated:  May 6, 2025 11:41 am)Ukraine's drones target Moscow second night in a row, Russian official claims, ahead of Victory Day parade. Debris from one of the drones reportedly fell on the Kashirskoye Highway The reported attack comes just days before Russia's Victory Day parade and three-day "truce." Vice President Mike Pence said Putin "only understands power." About 800 million euros ($905 million) will be allocated for the acquisition and installation of anti-tank mines to deter potential aggression  (Updated:  May 6, 2025 9:36 am)War analysisFrance is sending Ukraine more AASM Hammer bombs — here's what they can do Polish President Andrzej Duda said the United States has tools that can effectively influence the Kremlin arguing that only President Donald Trump has real leverage over Russian President Vladimir Putin The number includes 1,430 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day "To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet Dissident Movement" by Benjamin Nathans which covers dissent in the Soviet Union and Russia today Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on May 5 announced they had facilitated Russian journalist Ekaterina Barabash's escape from Russia to France after she fled house arrest on April 21 by Kateryna HodunovaIllustrative purposes only: 155 mm artillery shells that are ready to be shipped are stored at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Scranton (Hannah Beier/Getty Images)The premises of the ZVS Holding company which produces artillery shells for Ukraine and other contractors Slovak news outlet Dennik N reported on Oct The fire broke out at 1:30 p.m. local time in a hydraulic press used for the three-dimensional molding of steel shell casings it had engulfed the oil tank and part of the roof of the production hall and had been localized two plant workers were poisoned by combustion products The company has not yet identified the cause of the fire saying that it will be possible to determine it after the fire is completely extinguished There is also no estimate of the damage or impact on the production itself ZVS holding added that no explosives are used at the Snina plant All the shell casings are filled at another facility in Dubnica nad Vahom where the semi-state enterprise's main operation is located Ukraine has long tried to ramp up domestic ammunition production to become more independent from Western partners. In the summer of 2023, Ukroboronprom said that it had already mastered the production of 82 mm mortar mines Earlier media reports cited Ukrainian officials hoping to begin producing "desperately needed" NATO-standard 155 mm artillery rounds in the 'second half' of 2024 at the earliest The Ukrainian government announced in September that Ukraine already produces its own 155 mm artillery ammunition Despite domestic efforts, the Ukrainian army still mainly depends on supplying 155 mm shells from partners as European countries join forces to buy the rounds outside Europe Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy Tomas Tatar talks about his hometown in Slovakia and what’s on the menu when he gets there He’s reached the 20-goal plateau his past two NHL campaigns and will now look to bring his A-game to Team Europe at the upcoming World Cup of Hockey 2016 Tatar has appeared in 46 games combined – Junior and Senior – for his native Slovakia The biggest highlight to date was a silver medal at the 2012 World Championships where he was the youngest player on the team’s roster the 25-year-old shares his thoughts about the place he grew up in and what’s on the menu when he heads home History lesson: The town Dubnica nad Váhom is situated in the basin of the Váh River in Slovakia Dubnica nad Váhom has a rich sports tradition and the development of sport is also very important in current times Festival atmosphere: Among the most important cultural performances there is the Dubnica Folk Festival that attracts an international crowd Back in time: The oldest written record of Dubnica is included in a document from 1193 It’s noted that Dubnica is a heritable property of brothers Vratislav and Piskin From here to there: The distance from Dubnica nad Vahom to Toronto is 6,971 km Childhood memories: “I am from Dubnica nad Vahom My best memories of my hometown are running around with my friends when we were little kids or my hockey beginnings.” Sporting life: “My favourite place is probably the playground right in front of my parents’ apartment Myself and other kids used to meet there and that’s where we played all kinds of different sports all day.” I am trying to eat as much as I can at my mom’s apartment I don't get to see her all season and she makes Slovakian traditional food all the time A new world look: “I am looking forward to the World Cup It's going to be a great tournament with many equal teams Brandon Tanev and Tomas Tatar reminisce about their 2024 Winter Classic experience in Seattle Tatar had a goal and eight assists in 27 games for Central Division-leading Colorado this season He signed a one-year deal with the team in September The Colorado Avalanche agreed to terms Tuesday with forward Tomas Tatar on a one-year contract worth $1.5 million Tomas Tatar has been impressed by the drive and talent of his young New Jersey Devils teammates in his first season with the team but if you head over to his newly launched website you can wear your Tomas Tatar fandom while supporting a good cause Tomáš Tatar’s recent visit with kids at his hometown hockey club was about remembering the past 1995) is a new player of RCD Mallorca and joins the club on loan from Chievo Verona of Serie A Italian Martin Valjent plays central and stands out for his strength good treatment of the ball and aerial game This new signing reinforces the defensive line of the team after accumulating a lot of experience in the silver category of Italian football to play 138 games in four seasons with Ternana Unicusano His career in this club was worth it to be transferred to Chievo Verona and to be absolute international with Slovakia aligned Valjent in the friendly match against Morocco played on 4 June the new Mallorquin player had played regularly in the international U-19 and U-21 categories August 1 (TASR) - Ukrainian Ambassador to Slovakia Myroslav Myronovych Kastran received two Zuzana 2 self-propelled howitzers in Dubnica nad Vahom (Trencin region) on Tuesday with caretaker Premier Ludovit Odor in attendance        These are the first two howitzers of 16 that are being manufactured for Ukraine by Dubnica-based state-run company Konstrukta-Defence        The premier called the production of howitzers for Ukraine an example of how international cooperation works and proof of joint solidarity with Ukraine        "The defence of Ukraine and the ability to face Russia's aggression is in the interests of all of us "A world in which rules do not apply and international rules are not respected is unacceptable for us It's our duty to help where we can and how we can," stated Odor the quality of the Zuzana 2 howitzers proves that Slovakia can produce modern technology that meets the toughest international criteria Konstrukta-Defence is already in talks with a Ukrainian arms company concerning further cooperation The result should be a prototype of a new howitzer        Caretaker Defence Minister Martin Sklenar said that the idea of the international project was born last October Konstrukta-Defence will hand over an additional 14 Zuzana howitzers to Ukraine over the upcoming months with the last one due to arrive in the country next year        Ambassador Kastran praised the support of the international community that resulted in the delivery of the Zuzana howitzers        "This attests to the fact that fortune has changed and Russia is not succeeding in its ambition to tire us out Many thanks to the governments of Slovakia This project serves as a model of successful cooperation and the basis for new military and technical cooperation between Slovakia and Ukraine," stated the ambassador a member of the state-run DMD Group based in Dubnica nad Vahom (Trencin region) will participate in the production of 8×8 military armoured vehicles to be supplied to the Slovak army by Finnish manufacturer Patria Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad (OLaNO) announced at a news conference on Thursday other Slovak arms producers will participate in the production of the vehicles as well The Slovak Government will sign a contract for procuring the military armoured vehicles with Finland “The deadline for signing contracts between the two governments as well as between Patria and Konstrukta-Defence The negotiations are progressing very well it looks like we might sign the contracts in July,” said the minister Nad said that the first combat vehicles should arrive in Slovakia 12 months after the contracts are signed The first vehicles will be completely manufactured in Finland in the presence of employees of Slovak arms factories Production will be shifted to Slovakia by the end of next year Trnava and Skalica (Trnava region) participating Subcontractors from some other Slovak towns will be involved as well The Slovak army is considering purchasing 500 of these vehicles in the long term “The primary contractor in this large state order on Slovakia’s part will be state-run joint-stock company Konstrukta-Defence The Government wants to have control over the whole project via the state-run joint-stock company This will provide a guarantee of smooth supplies for the Slovak army even in a crisis That is why we insisted that a large part of the specific work on the new Patria combat vehicle should be carried out in Slovakia,” stressed Nad Pavol Demitra was a former Slovak professional ice hockey player who had a net worth of $36 million Pavol Demitra played professionally overseas before the Ottawa Senators chose him during the 1993 NHL Entry Draft where he appeared in three NHL All-Star games in 1999 and won the 2000 Lady Byng Memorial Trophy Demitra was fifth on the Blues' all-time scoring list with 2014 goals and 493 points in close to 500 games He played overseas during the NHL lockout before landing a free agent deal with the Los Angeles Kings Demitra was traded to the Minnesota Wild before scoring a contract with the Vancouver Canucks He played in Vancouver for two seasons before he decided to play in the Kontinental Hockey League with Lokomotiv Demitra played with the Czechoslovakian men's national team when the airplane transporting the Lokomotiv team and coaches to their season opener crashed after takeoff on the Volga River bank outside of Yaroslavl Maja was pregnant with the couple's third child at the time of her husband's death © 2025 Celebrity Net Worth / All Rights Reserved