MZKT (МЗКТ orМЗКЦ,Belarusian:Мінскі завод колавых цягачоў,Russian:Минский завод колёсных тягачей,Minsk Wheel(ed)Tractor Plant (MWTP)) is a manufacturer of heavyoff-road vehicles, especially military trucks, based inMinsk, inBelarus;[1] it was formerly a division ofMAZ. MZKT civilian trucks are brandedVOLAT[2] (Belarusian:волат, literally means Giant). MZKT specializes in the production of on-road and off-road heavy-duty vehicles and trailers for them, as well as special wheeled chassis for installation of various equipment for enterprises and transport organizations of the construction, oil and gas and engineering industries.
In 1954, MZKT, the Minsk Wheeled Tractor Plant, was founded to developartillery tractors; it then developed a series of heavy weapons transporters for the military of theUSSR, including heavy offroad trucks such as theMAZ-537 andMAZ-7310.[3] It was a division ofMinsk Automobile Plant (known as MAZ). In 1991, MZKT was spun off into a separate company; its former parent, MAZ, continues to make a broader range of heavy vehicles.[4]
In 1992, military orders slowed, and MZKT attempted to adapt its products to civilian uses, such as mining trucks and crane carriers.
In 2020 it was said that the MZKT was the primary supplier for the chassis of such Russian army vehicles as the launcher for theTopol-M because the domestic Russian products are of comparatively low quality.[5]
On 17 December 2020, MZKT was added to the sanctions list of theEuropean Union.[22][23]The United Kingdom and Switzerland have also sanctioned the company.[24][25][26]
In 2022, the plant, its director, Aliaksei Rymasheuski, and deputy director, Aliaksandr Vetsianevich, were included in theSpecially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List of the United States,[27] as well as in the sanctions lists of the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Ukraine. In addition, Japan has imposed sanctions against the MZKT.[28][29][30]
On April 19, 2024, the U.S. State Department imposed sanctions on MWTP pursuant to Executive Order 13382, which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. The State Department statement read: "[MWTP] has worked to supply special vehicle chassis to Pakistan’s long-range ballistic missile program. Such chassis are used as launch support equipment for ballistic missiles by Pakistan’s National Development Complex (NDC), which is responsible for the development of Missile Technology Control Regime Category (MTCR) I ballistic missiles."[1]
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