Motor Sich

The Motor Sich, Joint Stock Company is a Ukrainian aircraft engine manufacturer headquartered in Zaporizhzhia. The company manufactures engines for airplanes and helicopters as well as industrial marine gas turbines and installations.

Overview

Motor Sich currently produces the Ivchenko Progress D-18 turbofan which powers variants of the Antonov An-124 and An-225 freighters, although the Ivchenko Progress D-36/Ivchenko Progress D-436 series remain the highest production-rate engines in the CIS.

Motor Sich inherited some of the former Soviet Union's aero engine manufacturing capabilities. It produces turbofan, turboprop and rotary-wing turboshaft engines that power aircraft in Russian service, such as Mi- and Ka-series military helicopters.[4]

In 2017 Beijing's Skyrizon Aviation purchased a 41% holding in Motor Sich. Skyrizon Aviation had agreed to first invest $250 million in the Ukrainian Zaporizhzhia plants and help Motor Sich to set up a new assembly and servicing plant in Chongqing.[5]

The company announced that it planned to launch its own helicopter, dubbed Hope, in 2018.[6]

Some individuals, including former counsel to the US Senate Foreign Relation Committee, William C. Triplet, have criticized Ukraine for allowing Motor Sich to conduct business with Chinese firms. Oleh Lyashko, leader of Ukraine’s Radical Party, said if the US does not want Motor Sich to be closer with the Chinese, then they need to buy enough aircraft engines.[7]

Motor Sich severed ties with Russia in 2014, its biggest client, and consequently made efforts to find new markets. The US administration of Donald Trump, added Skyrizon to a Military End-User (MEU) List. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy then signed a decree imposing sanctions on Skyrizon to restrict its trading operations, while the company responded with a $3.5 billion arbitration case.[8]

On 11 March 2021, the Ukrainian government announced its intention to nationalize Motor Sich by buying back shares from Chinese holders.[9] Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov said the government's decision is to "return Motor Sich to the Ukrainian people" and that "investors will be compensated".[10]

Several Turkish military products use Motor Sich engines, including the Bayraktar TB2, Bayraktar Akinci, Bayraktar Kızılelma, TAI Anka-3 drones and the TAI T929 ATAK 2 helicopter.[11][12] Director-General of Motor Sich, Vyacheslav Bohuslayev noted that a $100 million loan from China needs to be repaid in 2026.[13]

Among the company's new products is the MS-500V turboshaft engine, originally intended for the Russian Ansat helicopter.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Motor Sich plant in Zaporizhzhia was struck multiple times by Russian attacks. Russia said that the plant was destroyed in late May 2022.[14] It was again struck in August 2022,[15] August 2023,[16] and January 2025.[17]

2022 nationalisation

On 6 November 2022, the government of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy used martial law to nationalise the company, stating that "Such steps, which are necessary for our country in conditions of war, are carried out in accordance with current laws and will help meet the urgent needs of our defense sector."[18] Chinese company Skyrizon accused Ukraine of "unjustified plundering."[19]

Components

In 2011 it acquired Orsha Engineering Factory, Orsha, Belarus.

• Zaporizhzhia Engine Engineering Factory, Zaporizhzhia
• Omelchenko Engineering Factory (1988), Zaporizhzhia
• Snizhne Engineering Factory (1970), Snizhne
• Volochysk Engineering Factory (1971), Volochysk
• Motor Sich Airlines (1984)
• Aleks TV (1995), local television company

Gallery

Daughter organizations

• Motor Sich Airlines
• FC Motor Zaporizhzhia
• HC Motor Zaporizhzhia

See also

• Ivchenko-Progress
• List of aircraft engine manufacturers

External links

• JSC Motor-Sich web site