The introduction of new U.S. sanctions against Russia in connection with its meddling in the conflict in Venezuela has compelled South American countries to seek alternatives for Russian arms producers, opening up new opportunities for strengthening Ukraine's position in the Latin American regional arms market, the Ukroboronprom state concern has said.

"Ukraine has a unique chance to strengthen its position on the arms and military equipment market of Latin America. The introduction of sanctions by the United States against Russia for meddling in the conflict in Venezuela is forcing countries of the region to look for an alternative to Russian producers. The sanctions have complicated payment for Russian defense products and services," Ukroboronprom Head Pavlo Bukin said, commenting on Ukroboronprom's participation in the seventh International Conference of Technology for the Defense and Prevention of Disasters 2019 (SIDEF Peru 2019) in Lima, Peru, Ukroboronprom's press service said, citing Bukin's comments.

Bukin said Kyiv is offering Lima military-technical cooperation, firstly in the aviation, tank armor and artillery spheres: the Ukrainian side is ready to ensure the complex modernization of Peru's An-32 transport planes and Mi helicopters, artillery systems and other weapons.

"Ukraine's weapons, repair services and modernization are maximally adapted to the needs of countries in the region," Bukin said.

Columbia, Brazil, and Mexico are among potential clients of Ukraine in Latin America, he said.

"They are traditionally oriented towards military gear produced by enterprises in the former USSR," he said.

Ukraine's defense production capabilities at SITDEF 2019, which was held in Lima on May 16 through May 19, was presented by Ukrinmash, part of the Ukroboronprom concern. The Ukrainian delegation was represented by state-run SpetsTechnoExport, Spetsoboronmash, Malyshev Plant, open joint-stock company Kyiv Radar Plant, Civil Aviation Plant 410 and scientific & production enterprise SPAITECH LLC.

The organizer of SITDEF, which is one of the largest specialized sites in the Latin American region, is Peru's Defense Ministry. Automobile and armored vehicles, artillery equipment, aviation and avionics systems, air defense systems, communications equipment, engineering and sanitary equipment, demining equipment, as well as means of preventing and counteracting natural disasters were shown at the exhibition.

Peru is considered to be one of the promising partners of Ukraine in the sphere of military-technical cooperation in South America, considering, among other things, the presence of a solid arsenal of weapons and military equipment of the Soviet type in the armament of the Ground Forces and the Air Force of the Latin American state.

As reported, Kyiv is developing plans to expand military-technical cooperation with South America countries, including Chile. In 2017, Ukroboronprom opened its representative office in Brazil.