8/20/2002: 43RD ROCKET ARMY
DISBANDS The 43rd Rocket Army, a
former Soviet Strategic Rocket Forces (SRF)
unit that controlled all strategic ballistic missiles located on Ukraine's
territory, was officially deactivated on 20 August 2002 after 42 years of
existence. Ukrainian Defense Minister Volodymyr Shkidchenko
visited garrisons belonging to the disbanded army and thanked its officers for
their efforts in strategic arms elimination activities. A museum dedicated to
the SRF
will be established on the site of the deactivated army. [UT1 Television, 20 August 2002; in "Ukraine's 43rd missile
army unit disbands," FBIS
Document CEP20020820000378.] {Entered 10/22/2002 MJ}
6/8/2002: EXPLOSION AT
PAVLOHRAD MECHANICAL PLANT On 8 June 2002, an explosion
took place on the territory of the
Pavlohrad Mechanical Plant, involved in solid-fuel ICBM elimination. Four
plant employees were injured by flying glass fragments. The blast shattered
windows up to five kilometers away from the plant, and resulted in a greenish
cloud of smoke. The explosion reportedly took place during the
incineration of solid rocket fuel and other flammables. According to the
Emergencies Ministry office in Pavlohrad the explosion has not resulted in air and soil pollution above maximum permissible levels. [UNIAN, 11 June 2002; in "Officials dismiss missile explosion
scare in eastern Ukrainian city," FBIS Document CEP20020611000082.] {Entered
6/18/2002 MJ} 5/26/2002: SIX TONS OF SS-24
PARTS STOLEN UNIAN reported on 26 May 2002 that
the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast office of the
Security Service of Ukraine announced that six tons of RT-23UTTKh [NATO
designation SS-24 'Scalpel'] ICBM components were stolen from the
Pavlohrad Mechanical Plant,
which is conducting ICBM elimination.[1] The thieves stole pieces of metal
from one of the plant's
dismantled missile parts warehouses.[2] The thefts took place in March and April
2002 by a criminal group headed by one of the plant's deputy directors. The
deputy director, with the assistance of several of the plant's workers,
smuggled 2.8t of aluminum from the plant and sold 2.6t without proper
documentation to a local commercial organization which in turn sold it to a
company based in Zaporizhzhya. The perpetrators were reportedly arrested while
transporting the metal. Pavlohrad Mechanical Plant's losses are estimated at
14,600 hryvne ($2,739 as of 13 June 2002).[1] Sources: [1]"Boleye 6 tonn chastey strategicheskikh raket SS-24
pokhishcheno s Pavlogradskogo mekhanicheskogo zavoda," UNIAN, No. 020 (212),
20-26 May 2002. [2] "Na Ukraine ukrali tysyachi tonn loma utiliziruyemykh raket," RTR-Vesti
Web Site, http://www.rtr-vesti.ru.{Entered 6/13/2002 MJ} 2/22/2002: LAST SS-24 MISSILE
DISASSEMBLED Ukrainian television reported on
22 February 2002 that the last RT-23UTTKh ICBM [NATO designation SS-24
'Scalpel'] was dismantled for storage at the
Pavlohrad Mechanical Plant
where SS-24 elimination is to take place. Although Ukraine reportedly already
destroyed 16 such missiles, the remainder of the missiles, and some 5,000
metric tons of solid rocket fuel stored at the Pavlohrad
plant, remain to be disposed of with US assistance.
Pivdenne Design Bureau
Chief Designer Stanislav Konyukhov,
while praising US assistance, nevertheless criticized it for being
insufficient with regards to the continuing social needs of Pavlohrad workers. [UT1 TV
broadcast, 22 February 2002; in "Ukraine destroys its last SS-24
intercontinental missile," FBIS Document CEP20020223000085.] {Entered
6/13/2002 MJ}
11/4/2001: SUPPLEMENTARY AGREEMENT ON
ICBM INFRASTRUCTURE ELIMINATION SIGNED UNIAN
reported on 4 November 2001 that 43rd Missile Army Commander and Deputy
Defense Minister Vladimir
Mikhtyuk and US SOAE
Program Director for Ukraine John Connell had signed a supplementary agreement on
the elimination of R-36M [NATO designation SS-18 'Satan'] and RT-23UTTKh [NATO
designation SS-24 'Scalpel'] construction infrastructure. ["SShA pomogut
Ukraine likvidirovat 47 tyazhelykh bombardirovshchikov Tu-22," UNIAN, No. 044
(184), 29 October-4 November 2001.] {Entered 6/13/2002 MJ} 10/30/2001: UKRAINE ELIMINATES LAST SS-24 SILO On 30 October 2001, Ukraine destroyed the last of 46
silos for RT-23UTTKh [NATO designation SS-24 'Scalpel',
START I designation RS-22] ICBMs located in Pervomaysk District,
Mikolayiv Oblast.[1] Sergey Borodenkov, a spokesperson for the
Ukrainian
Foreign Ministry, announced that this demolition marks the fulfillment by
Ukraine of its commitment under START
I to eliminate its strategic offensive weapons by 5 December
2001.[2]
Sources: [1] "Ukraina unichtozhayet poslednyuyu
raketnuyu shakhtu," Korrespondent.net Web Site, http://www.korrespondent.net,
29 October 2001. [2] "Ukraine Eliminates All Its
Nuclear Weapons," Interfax, 30 October 2001. {Entered 11/2/01 IA}
10/28/2001: SS-24 ELIMINATION
PROGRAM SUFFERS DELAYS According to Ukrainian START Treaty Implementation
Center Chief Colonel Vladimir Shapovalov, Ukraine may not be able to complete
RT-23UTTKh [NATO designation SS-24 'Scalpel'] elimination by the end of 2004,
as originally planned. Although US equipment for eliminating the missiles
had already arrived at the Pavlohrad
Mechanical Plant, the program has suffered delays. There reportedly are
disagreements between US and Ukrainian government agencies concerning the
necessary level of safety during missile elimination. Sources in the
Ukrainian National Security Council consider the delays normal and believe the
time may be made up in the future. The most
time-consuming part of the process, according to the National Security
Council, will be optimizing the fuel extraction regimes at the pilot plant,
since each stage of the RT-23UTTKh will require different settings.[1] A US
Embassy representative reportedly attributed the delay to the Ukrainian
proposal to convert extracted rocket fuel into high explosives.[2] Sources: [1] "Ukraina mozhet ne uspet utilizirovat rakety SS-24 do 2004 goda -
Defense-Express," UNIAN, No. 043 (183), 22-28 October 2001. [2] "SShA ponimayut, chto protsess likvidatsii v Ukraine raket RS-22 mozhet
zaderzhatsya po tekhnicheskim prichinam," UNIAN, No. 043 (183), 22-28 October
2001. {Entered 6/13/2002 MJ}
5/5/2001: UKRAINE RESUMES SS-24 SILO DEMOLITION On 5 May 2001 Interfax reported that on 18 May 2001
Ukraine will demolish the first RT-23UTTKh [NATO designation SS-24 'Scalpel',
START I designation RS-22] ICBM silo for this year, with a total of 15 silos
near Pervomaysk scheduled for elimination in 2001. Interfax also
reported that the last Ukrainian RT-23UTTKh missile was extracted from its
silo on 18 April 2001. The silo will be destroyed using explosives, and the
operation will be performed by Donetsk-based Shakhtspetsstroy, using
funds provided by the US Cooperative
Threat Reduction program at a rate of approximately $50,000 per silo.
Strategic Offensive Arms Reduction Treaty Implementation
Support Center Chief Volodymyr Shapovalov stated that while the date for the final silo
demolition has not yet been set, Ukraine will fulfill its START I
obligations by 4 December 2001. ["Ukraina pristupayet k poslednemy etapu likvidatsii
puskovoy ustanovki strategicheskikh raket," Interfax, 5 May 2001.]
{Entered 5/10/2001 MJ}
3/6/2001: CITY COUNCIL ORDERS HALT TO
OPERATIONS AT PAVLOHRAD MISSILE DISMANTLEMENT PLANTS The Pavlohrad Mechanical and
Chemical Plants have halted
RT-23UTTKh [NATO designation SS-24 'Scalpel'] missile elimination activities. The Pavlohrad City Council ordered
the operations halted on 6 March 2001, citing a lack of environmental
safety guarantees from the plants. For more information, see the
3/6/2001
entry in the
Pavlohrad Chemical Plant
developments file. {Entered 4/23/01 RG}
2/11/2001: RUSSIA AND UKRAINE SIGN MEMORANDUM
OF COOPERATION TO ELIMINATE RUSSIAN SS-24 and SS-N-20 BALLISTIC
MISSILES On 11 February 2001, Ukrainian
and Russian officials signed a Memorandum of Cooperation at a
Russian-Ukrainian summit meeting in Dnipropetrovsk
addressing the dismantlement of solid-propellant RS-22 [NATO designation SS-24
'Scalpel'] and RSM-52 [NATO designation SS-N-20 'Sturgeon'] missiles. In
compliance with the memorandum, Ukraine will dismantle the first stages of
Russian RS-22 ICBMs at the Pavlohrad
Chemical Plant in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Pavlohrad has already been
tasked with the extraction and conversion of solid rocket fuel from RS-22
missiles being dismantled in Ukraine. For more information, see the 11/99
and 7/1/2000 entries in this section.
["Ukraina, Rossiya i SShA
prodolzhayut konsultatsii po voprosam likvidatsii tverdotoplivnykh
strategicheskikh raket," Interfax, 15 March 2001.] {Entered 3/27/01 RG}
12/18/2000: WASHINGTON GROUP INTERNATIONAL
NAMED MAIN CONTRACTOR FOR SOLID ROCKET FUEL ELIMINATION PROJECT UNIAN reported on 18 December 2000 that the US
Defense Threat Reduction Agency named Washington Group International Inc.,
formerly known as Morrison Knudsen, as the main contractor to eliminate solid
rocket fuel from 56 ICBMs in Ukraine.[1,2] Washington
Group will be responsible for developing, constructing, and operating the fuel-extraction equipment, as
well as training personnel to safely extract the fuel. For more
information on the project, see the 7/1/2000, 8/4/2000
and 10/4/2000 entries in this section. Sources: [1]"Kompaniya Washington Group
International Inc (WNG) poluchila kontrakt v 87 mln. dol. na unichtozheniye
yadernykh vooruzheniy Ukrainy," UNIAN, No. 51, 18-24 December 2000. [2] "Washington Group Awarded Contract
Worth $76 million for Cooperative Threat Reduction Project in Ukraine,"
Washington Group International Website, http://www.wgint.com,
21 December 2000. {Entered 2/9/01 RG}
12/11/2000: NEW AGREEMENT ON SS-24
ELIMINATION MODIFIES START PROVISIONS On 11 December 2000 the United States, Russia, Ukraine,
Belarus, and Kazakhstan signed an agreement in Geneva to provide for the two-phased elimination of
SS-24 ICBMs in Ukraine. For more details, see the 12/11/2000
entry in the Ukraine: START I
file. {Entered 1/3/01 RG}
10/4/2000: UKRAINE
TO RECEIVE US FUNDS FOR PILOT FUEL CONVERSION PLANT On 4 October 2000, Interfax reported that the US
Congress had approved $24 million for construction of a pilot solid
rocket fuel conversion plant at the Pavlohrad Chemical
Plant. Deputy Defense Minister Colonel General Volodymyr Mykhtyuk stated that the US
company
Morrison Knudsen had already purchased the necessary construction equipment and would
deliver it to Ukraine in the first quarter of 2001. Mykhtyuk
said that a lack of world experience with RS-22 [NATO designation SS-24
'Scalpel'] ICBM solid rocket fuel extraction and conversion established
the need for the pilot plant before large-scale conversion can begin. Pivdenne
(Yuzhnoye) Design Bureau, which designed the RS-22, decided to build the pilot plant. In September
contracts were also signed to construct four missile storage facilities, which are
scheduled for completion by December 2000. Each storage facility will
house the separate stages of 8.5 dismantled missiles. At present, the
missiles are housed at storage facilities in Mykhaylenki and Pervomaysk. Mykhtyuk
also reported that Ukraine and Russia are discussing the possibility of
eliminating Russian solid-fuel missiles in Ukraine.
["SShA profinansiruyut
stroitelstvo na Ukraine ustanovki likvidatsii topliva raket SS-24,"
Interfax, No. 21, 4 October 2000.]{Entered 10/12/2000 RG}
10/4/2000:
ICBM REMOVAL FROM SILOS CONTINUES, FUNDING REQUESTED TO RECULTIVATE BLOWN-UP SILO AREAS Interfax reported that on 4 October 2000 the 36th RS-22
[NATO designation SS-24 'Scalpel'] intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)
was removed from its silo in Kirovohrad Oblast, leaving only 10 RS-22
missiles still in silos in Ukraine.[1]
Deputy Defense Minister
and 43rd Missile Army Commander Colonel General Volodymyr Mykhtyuk stated that the remaining
missiles would be removed by December 2001. Interfax also
reported that Deputy Commander of the 43rd
Missile Army Major General Vladislav Bushuyev sent a request to the US Department of Defense for $2.75 million
to recultivate missile silo sites in Mykolayiv Oblast that were blown up after the
disposal of R-12 [NATO designation SS-4] and R-14 [NATO designation SS-5] missiles.[2]
Sources: [1] "Another ICBM removed from silo in
Ukraine's Kirovograd region," Interfax, 4 October 2000. [2] "Ukraine needs $2.75 million to do
away with missile silos," Interfax, 4 October 2000.{Entered
10/9/2000 RG}
9/26/2000: FIRST COMMERCIAL LAUNCH OF CONVERTED
SS-18 ICBM SUCCESSFUL Interfax reported that on 26 September 2000 the space launch
vehicle Dnepr, a converted
RS-20 [NATO designation SS-18 'Satan'] intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), was successfully
launched from the Baykonur Cosmodrome. The RS-20 conversion into the Dnepr was accomplished with the cooperation of Ukrainian Pivdenne
Design Bureau and Pivdenmash
Production Association. For more information, see the 9/26/2000
entry in the Russia: ICBM Dismantlement section. See also the 7/26/2000, 9/20/1999,
and 1/20/1999 entries in this section.
{Entered 10/5/2000 RG}
9/11/2000: PIVDENNE/PIVDENMASH TO DELIVER 80 ROCKETS TO
SEA LAUNCH On 11 September 2000 the Sea
Launch consortium signed a contract for Pivdenne/Pivdenmash to deliver 80 Zenit-3SL
rockets to its Long Beach, California site.[1] The contract includes rockets that
have already been delivered to Sea Launch. The Zenit-3SL
boosters have been tested by Sea Launch and will be used to launch a
communications satellite into orbit for the United Arab Emirates on 19
October.[2,3] Sea Launch is a consortium in which Pivdenne's design
board owns 15% and Boeing owns 40%.[2,3] For more information see the 10/10/1999
and 9/20/1999 entries.
Sources: [1] "Sea Launch, Yuzhnoye Agree to
80-Rocket Deal," Space News, Vol. 11, No. 36, 25 September 2000,
p. 2. [2] Vitaliy Matarykin, "Morskaya
startovaya platforma 'Odissey' otpravilas k mestu zapuska ukrainsko-rossiyskoy
rakety-nositelya 'Zenit-3SL'," ITAR-TASS, 10 October 2000; in
Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.ru. [3] "Arab Emirates communications
satellite to be launched from Sea Launch," Interfax, No. 3, 7 September
2000. {Entered 10/16/2000 RG}
8/31/2000: LIQUID ROCKET FUEL SUSPECTED
CAUSE OF ILLNESSES IN MYKOLAYIV OBLAST Interfax reported that on 31 August 2000 President Kuchma
declared villages in the Pervomaysk district of Mykolayiv Oblast to be an
environmental disaster
zone after a large number of inhabitants were diagnosed with illnesses
connected to poisoning from traces of liquid rocket fuel.[1,2] Liquid fueled RS-16 [NATO
designation SS-17 'Spanker'] and later RS-20 [NATO designation
SS-18 'Satan'] missiles were previously based in Mykolayiv
Oblast.[3] Soil and water
samples have shown unusually high amounts of toxins that are byproducts of
decaying heptyl and amyl, both found in rocket fuel.[2,3,4] A Ukrainian public health
official stated that rocket fuel is the probable cause of the illness.[2]
Media sources speculate that locals may have triggered the toxic chemical
leaks by disturbing a missile or waste burial site.
Sources: [1] "Presidential Bulletin for
31 August 2000," Interfax, Vol. 165, 31 August 2000; in "Presidential
Bulletin for 31 Aug 00," FBIS Document CEP20000831000297. [2] Viktor Yadukha, "Pandora's
Missile Box. Mykolayiv Prospectors for Nonferrous Metal Bury Their
Children's Health in the Ground," Segodnya, 30
August 2000, p. 7; in "Russian Paper Reports Ukrainian Outbreak of
Disease Linked to Rocket Fuel," FBIS Document CEP20000830000286. [3] Svyatoslav Rechinskiy, "Otravlennaya
zhizn," Moskovskiye novosti, No. 37, 19-25
September 2000, p. 11. [4] "Ukraine villagers affected by mystery illness,"
Deutsche Presse-Agentur, 10
August 2000; in Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, http://web.lexis-nexis.com.
{Entered 10/18/2000 RG}
8/4/2000: UKRAINIAN FIRMS TO PARTICIPATE IN SOLID
ROCKET FUEL ELIMINATION On 4 August 2000 Interfax reported that by end of
August 2000 the US firms Morrison Knudsen and Thiokol Propulsion will select
Ukrainian subcontractors to build a solid rocket fuel conversion facility
in Pavlohrad, to process fuel extracted from RS-22 ICBMs [NATO designation
SS-24 'Scalpel']. According to the chief of the Center for the Implementation
of Strategic Arms Reduction Treaties, Volodymyr Shapovalov, the US Defense
Threat Reduction Agency signed an agreement with Morrison Knudsen and
Thiokol Propulsion to select Ukrainian subcontractors on 30 July 2000.
The Pavlohrad
Chemical Plant, which Shapovalov considers
to be the most likely Ukrainian primary subcontractor, will be the site
for solid rocket fuel conversion facilities. A pilot fuel conversion facility is to be built by the end of May 2000 and then put into experimental operation.
Construction of a full-scale fuel conversion facility, which will require
18 months, will begin following the completion of evaluation of the pilot
facility. Large-scale rocket fuel conversion is expected to begin by mid-2003.
["Amerikanskiye kompanii namereny opredelit
ukrainskikh podryadchikov po stroitelstvu zavoda po pererabotke tverdogo
topliva raket SS-24," Interfax, No.4, 4 August 2000.] {Entered 8/14/2000 MJ} 7/26/2000: DNEPR TO LAUNCH
SATELLITES FOR OSSS Kosmotras, a Russo-Ukrainian space launch company, will
use its Dnepr space launch vehicles for cluster-launches of small satellites
on behalf of the US company One
Stop Satellite Solutions (OSSS) which is involved in manufacturing
small satellites for universities. The Dnepr is a converted RS-20 [NATO
designation SS-18 'Satan'] ICBM, of which 150 are still considered
suitable for conversion. The memorandum of understanding
between OSSS and Kosmotras signed in June 2000 specifies test-launching a small
OSSS satellite in March 2001. Each Dnepr launch would put into orbit five to
seven small satellites and cost $6-8 million, or $10,000-$12,000 per kilogram
of payload. Large-scale commercial launches of OSSS satellites are to begin in
2002. For additional information on the Dnepr program, please see the 9/20/1999
and 1/20/1999 entries.
["Ukrainsko-rossiyskiy "Kosmotras"
i amerikanskaya OSSS budut osushchestvlyat zapuski sputnikov konversionnym
raketonositelem 'Dnepr'," Interfax, No.4, 26 July 2000.] {Entered 8/4/2000 MJ}
7/1/2000: SS-24 ELIMINATION
TO COMMENCE IN 2002 Technical experts at the Pavlohrad
Chemical Plant are in the final phases
of evaluating a hydrodynamic extraction technique for use on solid-fuel
RS-22 ICBMs [NATO designation SS-24 'Scalpel'] which are scheduled for
elimination under the terms of the START II treaty. Pavlohrad Chemical
Plant is the former manufacturer of solid-fuel rocket engines for RS-22
ICBMs, and has been selected as the site for eliminating these missiles
with the aid of Cooperative Threat
Reduction (CTR) program funds. The elimination of RS-22s is to
begin in 2002, and the solid rocket fuel extracted using this technique
will be converted to industrial explosive.
[Dinau News Agency, 1 July 2000; in
"Ukraine to use US Technology for Recycling Nuclear Missiles," FBIS Document
CEP20000701000108.] {Entered 7/20/2000 MJ}
4/7/2000: MISSILE
SILO DISMANTLEMENT MOVING AHEAD AS SCHEDULED According to Deputy Defense Minister Colonel General
Volodymyr Mykhtyuk, Ukraine has eliminated 20 RS-22 [NATO name SS-24
'Scalpel'] missile silos. The silos are to be dismantled by 5 December
2001 under the reductions agreed upon between the United States and Russia.
Their disassembly will take place at the Pavlohrad
Chemical Plant in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. For more information,
please see the 9/99 entry and the 11/1999
entry in this section.
[UNIAN, 7 April 2000; in "General reports
progress in missiles destruction," FBIS Document CEP20000407000261.] {Entered
4/14/2000 GD}
11/99: PAVLOHRAD
CONSIDERED AS SITE FOR STORAGE AND EVENTUAL DESTRUCTION OF REMAINING RS-22
MISSILES According to Leonid Shiman, director of the Pavlohrad
Chemical Plant, Pavlohrad is being considered as a site for the storage
and eventual destruction of Ukraine's 54 remaining RS-22 [NATO name SS-24
'Scalpel'] missiles,[1] including the 46 missiles
deployed in silos as well as "8.5" disassembled missiles stored at the
Pavlohrad plant.[2] In 1997, the government
decided that the RS-22s would be stored at the Mykhaylenki arsenal.
However, a 1998 government resolution banned construction of further storage
sites for the missiles at the Mykhaylenki facility.[1] Instead,
the missiles will be disassembled and stored pending dismantlement at the
Pavlohrad plant's storage facilities, although as of May 2000 16 RS-22s
were still being stored at Mykhaylenki.[2,3] Shiman expects that all missiles will be disassembled
by the end of 2001. This
method of storage will be safer than the originally proposed Mykhaylenki
plan, under which the missiles would have been stored fully assembled.[2]
According to Shiman, once the missiles are dismantled, the rocket fuel
will be mixed with conventional explosives, producing a less polluting
explosive for commercial use. Pavlohrad will formally bid for the
contract by the end of 1999, Shiman said. He was confident that the process
would be completed by the end of 2001. Dismantlement funding is provided
under the framework of the Nunn-Lugar
Cooperative Threat Reduction Program.[1]
Sources: [1] Sergey Zgurets, "Strategicheskiye
raket [sic] SS-24 dolzhny byli vzorvat Ameriku. No budut vzryvat rudu,"
UNIAN, No. 46, 15-21 November 1999. [2] Sergey Zgurets, "Raketnyye 'voyny'
mestnogo masshtaba," Den online edition,,http://www.day.kiev.ua/,9 December 1999. [3] "American Companies to Help Elimination
of Ukrainian Strategic Missiles," Interfax, No. 3, 25 May 2000. {Entered 5/18/2000, GD} {Updated 7/21/2000 MJ}
10/10/99: SEA LAUNCH PROGRAM INAUGURATED On 10 October 1999, a Ukrainian Zenit rocket launched a Hughes communications
satellite into orbit. Ukraine thereby, in cooperation with the United States,
Russia, and Norway, initiated the "Sea Launch" program aimed at lifting
payloads into space from an ocean-based platform.[1] This was the fourth
Zenit launch this year. The next launch is planned for January 2000.
Of the 34 Zenit launches carried out thus far, 29 have been successful.[2]
In addition to Hughes, the companies involved include the US-based Boeing
Corporation, Russia's Energiya, Norway's Kvaerner, Ukraine's Pivdenmash
Production Association, and Ukraine's Pivdenne
State Design Bureau.[1] According to Volodymyr Horbulin, secretary
of the National Security Council, Ukraine's participation in the project
was made possible by its accession to the MTCR.[3]
Sources: [1] Roman Woronowycz, "Sea Launch Finally Takes Off," The
Ukrainian Weekly, No. 43, 24 October 1999. [2] "Sleduyushchiy start v ramkakh mezhdunarodnogo proyekta
"Morskoy start" zaplanirovan na yanvar 2000 goda," UNIAN, No. 42, 18-24
October 1999. [3] "Prisoyedineniye Ukrainy k RKRT dalo vozmozhnost uchastiya
v mezhdunarodnom proyekte "Morskoy start" - V. Gorbulin," UNIAN, No. 42,
18-24 October 1999. {Entered 11/17/99 SK}
9/99: NO DECISION YET ON LAST 46 RS-22 ICBMs General Mykola Honcharenko, head of the Armed
Forces Verification Directorate, said in September 1999 that Ukraine
had not yet decided how to dispose of the last 46 RS-22 [NATO name SS-24
'Scalpel'] missiles remaining on Ukrainian territory. All of the
missiles have been removed from their silos, and, according to agreements
with Russia and the United States, are supposed to be dismantled by 5 December
2001. START I envisions the creation of a museum at one of the silo
installations, but Honcharenko said creation of a museum would depend upon
the availability of funds. Liquidation of the RS-22s and the TU-160
[NATO name 'Blackjack') strategic bombers is the last stage of the CTR
program in Ukraine. See the 9/20/99 entry below
for more on possible plans for the RS-22s.
[ "Seychas net okonchatelnogo resheniya po ispolzovaniyu
konkretnoy tekhnologii dlya utilizatsii MBR SS-24," UNIAN, No. 38, 23 September
1999.] {entered 11/10/99 CC}
9/20/99: UKRAINE CONVERTS
ICBMs INTO LAUNCH VEHICLES In an effort to become competitive in the international space launch market
and gain much-needed revenues, the Ukrainian National Space Agency is expanding
its launcher programs, Space News reported on 20 September 1999.
One project focuses on restoring trust in the Zenit launcher. Its reputation
was tarnished by the crash of a Zenit-2 during a September 1998 test. Successful
tests of Zenit rockets were carried out in March and July 1999. In addition,
Ukraine is developing alternatives to Zenit rockets by converting ICBMs
scheduled for dismantlement into satellite launch vehicles. Ukraine's RS-20s
[SS-18 'Satan'] are being re-designed for this purpose.[1] On 31 May 1997,
Cosmotras, a joint Russian-Ukrainian space company, was established to
develop and operate the Dnepr space launch complex, which would launch
converted RS-20s (to be called Dneprs). Founders include the Pivdenne
State Design Bureau, the Central Research Institute of Machine-Building
(Korolev, Moscow Oblast, Russia), Khartron
Scientific and Production Association, Pivdenmash
Production Association, the Special Mechanical Engineering Design Office
(St. Petersburg, Russia), the Design Bureau of Transport Machinery, and
Askond. A Dnepr successfully carried a UoSAT-12 spacecraft, produced
by the British company SSTL, into orbit on 21 April 1999.[2,3] Ukraine
also plans to convert RS-22s [SS-24 'Scalpel'] into three- or four-stage
launch vehicles called Space Clippers. While pursuing these projects, Ukraine
reports that it is taking steps to ensure compliance with international
export control standards.[1]
Sources: [1] Viktor Zaborsky, "Can Ukraine's Launch Market Survive?"
Space
News, 20 September 1999, p. 19. [2] Stanislav Konyukhov and Stanislav Us, "Dnepr Program:
High Reliability,"
Military Parade, No. 4, 6 October 1999, pp. 58-59. [3] Vladimir Utkin, Alexander Osadchenko, and Pavel Braslavsky,
"Combat Vehicles Converted into Civil-Use Launch Vehicles," Military
Parade, No. 4, 6 October 1999, p. 56.{Entered 9/29/99 SK}
2/26/99: UKRAINE DESTROYS
LAST SS-19 On 26 February 1999 the last RS-18 [NATO designation
SS-19 'Stiletto'] intercontinental ballistic missile in Ukraine was destroyed
at the ICBM neutralization facility of the Pivdenmash
(Yuzhmash) Production Association in Dnipropetrivsk.[1] The missile
was the last of 111 RS-18s destroyed under the the Cooperative
Threat Reduction program. Together with the earlier destruction
of 130 missile silos and 13 launch control centers, the elimination of
the final RS-18 resulted in the complete elimination of the Ukrainian RS-18
ICBM system.[2]
Sources: [1] UNIAN, 26 February 1999; in "Ukrainian
Official on Destruction of SS-19 Missiles," FBIS Document FTS19990228000789. [2] M2 Presswire, 3 August 1999; in
"United States and Ukraine extend Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction
agreement," Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe.{entered
12/8/99 CC}
1/20/99: UKRAINE PLANS TO BUILD SATELLITE LAUNCH
VEHICLES Former RS-20 [SS-18 'Satan'] ICBM manufacturer Yuzhmash
plans to form a consortium called Yuzhkosmos to build satellites and rockets.[1,2]
Approximately 10 other Ukrainian companies and scientific research institutes
are expected to join. According to Volodymyr Horbulin, presidential national
security advisor and secretary of the National Security Council, 150 SS-18s,
originally scheduled for dismantlement, will be re-designed and used as
satellite launch vehicles. Ukraine plans to test the first launch vehicle
in 1999. Regular launches should begin in 2001.[2]
Sources: [1] "Ukraine Forms New Unit to Sell Space Technologies,"
Reuters, 20 January 1999. [2] Vladimir Platonov, "Vladimir Gorbulin:"My stoim na poroge
kommercheskogo buma v kosmose," Zerkalo Nedeli, 23 - 29 January
1999, p. 4. {Entered 9/27/99 SK}
12/3/98: DESTRUCTION OF SS-19 MISSILE SILOS COMPLETED Ukraine destroyed the eight remaining SS-19 silos in November 1998.[1]
Ukraine inherited 130 SS-19 missiles from the former Soviet Union. The
liquidation process began in January 1996 when Ukraine agreed to become
a non-nuclear weapon state and destroyed the first missile silo in a special
ceremony. Since then, the dismantlement has been proceeding in accordance
with the START I treaty. The program received significant financial
assistance from the United States.[2] Ukraine intends to obtain additional
finances for re-cultivation of the former missile silos areas.[1]
Sources: [1] Interfax, 3 December 1998; in "Ukraine May Ask US For
Aid To Reclaim Former Missile Silos," FBIS Document FTS19981203001683. [2] "Ukraine To Destroy Last SS-19 Missile Silo in Nov.,"
Reuters; in Russia Today, http://www.russiatoday.com,
21 August 1998. {Entered 12/7/98 SK}
10/1/98: UKRAINE DESTROYING SS-24 MISSILES Under the START I treaty, Ukraine is dismantling its 46 SS-24 missiles,
which were the most modern strategic missiles during the Soviet era.
As of August 1998, six of these missiles were destroyed, followed by four
more in September.[1,2,3] Ukraine plans to dismantle the remaining
SS-24 missiles by December 2001.[1] The destruction of missiles and
silos is being implemented with financial aid from the United States.[3]
Funding for the destruction of missile silos is also being provided by
Germany.[4]
Sources: [1] UNIAN, 1 October 1998; in "Ukraine Destroys Ballistic
Missile Silo Under START-1 Treaty," Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe. [2] STB TV, 17 August 1998; in "Ukraine Dismantles SS-24
Missiles," Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe. [3] "Last SS-19 Silo To Be Destroyed Shortly," The Ukrainian
Weekly, 13 September 1998, p. 3. [4] UNIAN, 22 September 1998; in "Germany To Help Liquidate
Missile-launching Silos," Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe,
http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe.
{Entered 12/7/98 SK}
12/97: UKRAINE HAS DISMANTLED 68 SS-19s According to Major General Mykola Honcharenko,
Chief of the Verification Team for Ukraine's Armed Forces, 68 SS-19
ICBMs and 107 silos for them have been destroyed as of December 1997. Honcharenko
also stated that the remaining 62 SS-19s and 20 silos will be destroyed
in 1998.[1, 2]
Sources: [1] Interfax, 16 December 1997; in
"Official Cites Nuclear Missile, Silo Destruction Figures," FBIS-TAC-97-350. [2] Agence France-Presse, 17 December
1997; in "Ukraine Will Destroy Remaining SS-19 Missiles in 1998," Inquisit
Agent Report. {Entered 4/1/98 SP}
11/97: MORRISON KNUDSEN AWARDED CONTRACT TO DISMANTLE
SS-24s The Morrison Knudsen Corporation has been awarded
a contract by the Defense Special Weapons Agency to dismantle Ukraine's
SS-24 missiles. The multi-million dollar project will involve designing,
building, and operating missile storage and disassembly facilities in Pavlohrad,
Pervomaysk and Mikhailenky. Morrison
Knudsen's Environment-Government Group will be responsible for actually
dismantling the SS-24s, which still contain traces of chemicals and fuel
in their housings, despite earlier removal of warheads.[1] The new project,
part of the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, is expected to be completed
by November 2001.[1, 2]
Sources: [1] "MK Hires on to Dismantle Soviet
SS-24s. New Contract Arises from Work Already in Progress," Idaho Statesman,
12 November 1997; in Inquisit Agent Report. [2] "Company Dismantling SS-24," Eastern
Economist, 24 November 1997, p. 16. {Entered 4/1/98 SP}
11/7/97: US CONGRESSMEN THORNBERRY AND SNYDER
VISIT MISSILE SITES According to a Department of Defense press release,
Congressmen Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) and Vic Snyder (D-Arkansas) visited
missile sites in Ukraine and Russia that are being dismantled under the
Cooperative Threat Reduction Program. The press release noted that by late
1997, some 66 SS-19 silos and 58 SS-19 missiles had already been destroyed.
By the end of 1998, all 132 SS-19 silos in Ukraine are scheduled to be
eliminated under the program. In addition, the CTR program is engaging
in initial steps to destroy all SS-24 launchers and missiles in Ukraine.
[US Defense Department Press Release,
"Congressmen Visit Missile Sites in Russia, Ukraine," Washington, USIA
Text, 7 November 1997; in NAPSNet Daily Report, online edition, http://www.nautilus.org/napsnet/latest.html,
10 November 1997.] {Entered 2/18/98 SP} 5/16/97: UKRAINE TO DESTROY SS-24
ICBMS WITH CTR FUNDING Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma announced
on 16 May 1997 that, with US aid, Ukraine would destroy all SS-24 ICBMs
that remained in Ukraine after the nuclear warheads were transferred to
Russia under the Trilateral Statement. Earlier reports indicated that Ukraine
might want to use the missiles to launch satellites on a commercial basis.
The US-Ukraine Binational Commission announced the decision in a joint
statement, and Kuchma and US Vice-President Al Gore signed the statement
at ceremonies held on 16 May 1997. At the end of their session, Gore and
Kuchma met briefly with President Clinton, who said he was "quite encouraged"
at progress made on both security and economic issues.[1] First Deputy
Minister of Defense and Chief of the General Staff Oleksandr Zatynayko
said that the dismantlement program is expected to cost $47 million, and
will be covered by US Cooperative Threat Reduction funds. In a press release,
Senator Richard Lugar (R-Indiana) said that the plans announced by Kuchma
and Gore take "the process of peaceful disarmament an important step further,"
and that "recent developments in Ukraine mark a signal success for the
Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction programme, substantially strengthening
the security of each American."[2]
Sources: [1] "U.S. to Help Ukraine Get Rid of
SS-24 Missiles," Deseret News, online edition, http://www.desnews.com,
17 May 1997. [2] "Ukraine to Dismantle ICBMs," Disarmament
Diplomacy, May 1997, pp. 43-44. {Entered 3/2/98 SP} 5/6/97: US GRANTS UKRAINE $47 MILLION
TO DISMANTLE SS-19 SILOS The United States will grant Ukraine
$47 million to dismantle SS-19 ICBM launch silos. An agreement to this
effect was signed in Washington by US Secretary of Defense William Cohen
and Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksandr Kuzmuk. According to Cohen,
the money will allow Ukraine to implement the "bold, progressive choice"
that it made in 1993 when it declared itself a non-nuclear weapon state.
Cohen also noted that Ukraine "has set the world an example of peaceful
disarmament." Kuzmuk stated that any preconceived notions that he and members
of his delegation held of the United States were "gone with the wind."
The funds will be allocated within the framework of the Nunn-Lugar Program.
[Igor Borisenko, "Missiles Gone With
the Wind," Trud Ukraina, 6 May 1997, p. 1; in "Defense Minister
Welcomes Secretary Cohen Visit," FBIS-SOV-97-126.] {Entered 4/3/98 SP}
3/13/97: UKRAINE AND RUSSIA
PLAN TO USE SS-18s IN SPACE LAUNCHES Russia and Ukraine are planning to convert deactivated
SS-18 missiles into space launch vehicles.[1] While international agreements
call for the destruction of SS-18 ICBMs, the two countries have signed
a memorandum in which they plan to convert the missiles into launchers
for spacecraft.[2] The converted rocket, named Dnieper, must first be equipped
with an additional booster unit, but may be prepared for the first launch
by the end of 1998. A Russian Space Agency source claimed that several
Ukrainian and Russian research organizations plan to create an international
company which would produce the converted rockets and manage their commercial
activity. The new company and Microsoft have already tentatively agreed
to put 22 satellites into low-earth orbits from the year 2000 to 2001,
at a total cost of $9 billion, or $11 million per launch. The $1 billion
Dnieper conversion project seems appropriate for the Microsoft project,
because of its relatively low cost. Prior to the collapse of the Soviet
Union, Ukraine had produced over 308 SS-18 missiles at the Pivdenmash (Yuzhmash)
Production Association.
Sources: [1] Veronika Romanenkova and Viktor
Gritsenko, ITAR-TASS, 13 March 1997; in "SS-18 To Be Converted Into Space
Booster Rocket," FBIS-SOV-97-072. [2] Ustina Markus, "Ukraine, Russia
Sign Conversion Memorandum," OMRI Daily Digest, vol. 3, no. 32, 14 February
1997.{Entered 2/18/98 SP}
8/28/96: KUZMUK INFORMS LUGAR 90 SS-19 ICBMS DECOMMISSIONED During a meeting in Kyiv between Ukrainian Defense Minister
Oleksandr Kuzmuk and US Senator Richard Lugar, Kuzmuk said that 90 SS-19
ICBM missiles out of the 176 ICBMs formerly stationed in Ukraine have been
dismantled, and the facility for fully neutralizing and recycling the SS-19s
has been put in operation at Yuzhnoye (Pivdenne) plant in Dnipropetrivsk.
(information on Pivdenne dismantling facility--see Ukr. 3)
[UNIAN (Kyiv), 8/28/96, in "Kuzmuk Informs US Senator
of Disarmament Program," FBIS-SOV-96-169, 8/28/96.] .
8/23/96: GERMAN GOVERNMENT ALLOCATES DM 3.5 MILLION FOR
SILO DESTRUCTION Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister and Commander of the 43rd
Missile Army Colonel General Volodymyr Mykhtyuk signed an intergovernmental
Ukrainian-German protocol with German Ambassador to Ukraine Dr. Eberhard
Heiken, according to which Ukraine will destroy five ICBM silos by the
end of 1996 using 3.5 million Deutsche marks allocated by the German government.
In 1994, Germany allocated DM 1.1 million in equipment and services to
jointly develop environmentally safe silo destruction technologies and
in 1995, Germany allocated DM 2 million for the same purpose. From these
efforts, Ukrainian and German specialists developed the hydroabrasive cutting
method which was used to eliminate one Ukrainian silo in 12/95. The Ukrainian-German
protocol also outlines specific funding agreements and silo destruction
related work requirements to destroy six silos in 1997 and six silos in
1998. Ukraine is to eliminate 36 percent of all its missile silos within
seven years.
[Raisa Stetsyura, ITAR-TASS (Moscow), 8/23/96, in "German
Funds to Help Kiev Destroy 5 Nuclear Missile Silos," FBIS-SOV-96-166, 8/23/96;
"Ukrainian-German Protocol on Assistance in the Nuclear Disarmament of
Ukraine Signed," NARODNA ARMIYA, 8/29/96, p. 1; in "Mykhtyuk & FRG
Ambassador Sign Nuclear Disarmament Accord," FBIS-UMA-96-192-S, 8/29/96
] {Entered 10/17/96 GN, revised 12/2/96 MW}
6/24/96: UKRAINE HAS DISMANTLED 80 SS-19s Ukraine has dismantled 80 of a total of 130 SS-19 ICBMs deployed
on Ukrainian territory.
[Olha Vaulina and Oleksiy Dashkivskyy, "Cheap Reduction--Expensive
Satisfaction," HOLOS UKRAINY, 6/24/96, p. 5, in FBIS-SOV-96-145, 6/24/96.]{Entered 10/12/96 GN}
6/5/96:UNITED STATES ALLOCATES $43 MILLION FOR
DESTRUCTION, CLEANUP Ukrainian Defense Minister Valeriy Shmarov, Russian Defense
Minister Pavel Grachev, and US Secretary of Defense William Perry met at
the Pervomaysk missile base to plant sunflowers over the former missile
silo that they detonated in 1/96. The US government at this time announced
that it has agreed to allocate $29.7 million for clean-up operations at
destroyed silos and other related projects and $13.4 million for the destruction
of the nuclear infrastructure. Other reports state that a portion of the
$43 million will be used to build housing for retired Ukrainian strategic
rocket forces.
[Ustina Markus, "Russian, US Defense Secretaries Continue
Ukrainian Visit," OMRI DAILY DIGEST, 6/5/96; "Nikolaev Region," UNIAN,
6/4/96, in "Ukraine: Shmarov, Perry Visit Former Missile Base, Sign Agreement,"
FBIS-SOV-96-108, 6/4/96.]
3/20/96:FOUR MISSILE SILOS DESTROYED; 60 MORE
WILL BE DESTROYED SOON Colonel Oleksandr Serdyuk, the head of Ukrainian Strategic
Forces, said that the firm Bechtel will be responsible for the destruction
of Ukraine's missile silos, as well as all of the auxiliary structures
used for military needs. According to NARODNAYA ARMIYA, 4 missile silos
have been destroyed so far and 60 silos are slated to be destroyed in the
next two and a half years.
[Serhiy Zhurets, "Nuclear Disarmament: An Expensive Matter,
Since Not Every Missile Silo Can Become A Gold Mine," NARODNAYA ARMIYA,
3/20/96, p. 1, in FBIS-UMA-96-065-S, 3/20/96.]
3/5/96:BECHTEL WILL DESTROY SS-19 SILOS The US firm Bechtel has a CTR contract to destroy SS-19 missile
silos in Pervomaysk and Khmelnytsky.
[CISNP Communication With Michael Elleman, Staff Scientist
of Lockheed Martin Company, 3/5/96. See also Serhiy Zhurets, "Nuclear Disarmament,"
NARODNAYA ARMIYA, 3/20/96, p. 1, in FBIS-UMA-96-065-S, "CIS Regional And
Security Matters: Ukraine," 3/20/96.]
3/96:MOST HARDENED UNDERGROUND MISSILE SILOS ARE
IN PERVOMAYSK AND KHMELNYTSKY Pervomaysk and Khmelnytskyi reportedly have the world's most
hardened underground missile silos. Each missile silo is housed in an area
of about 1 sq/km.
[CISNP Discussions With Canadian Government Official,
3/96.]
1/13/96: UKRAINE WILL DESTROY 64 SILOS BY 1998 Ukrainian Defense Minister Valeriy Shmarov reportedly announced
that Ukraine will destroy 64 ICBM silos by 11/98 in accordance with the
START I Treaty.[1] According to Shmarov, Ukraine has already destroyed
20 silos.[1] Earlier, THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY reported that Ukraine must destroy
130 silos by 11/98 in accordance with START I.[1] According to the Rada
Decree of 11/18/95, Ukraine must destroy 36% of its silos in compliance
with SALT I.[2] Major-General Nikolai Ovcharenko, the head of the Ukrainian
Defense Ministry's verification center, reported that Ukrainian experts
are planning peaceful uses for the other 64% of the silos.[2]
Sources: [1] "64 ICBM Silos Slated For Destruction," THE UKRAINIAN
WEEKLY, 1/21/96, p. 1. [2] INTERFAX, 1/3/96. 1/5/96: WILLIAM PERRY PARTICIPATES IN DESTRUCTION OF PERVOMAYSK
SILO US Secretary of Defense William Perry, Russian Defense Minister
Pavel Grachev, and Ukrainian Defense Minister Valeriy Shmarov participated
in the destruction of silo No. 110 in Pervomaysk, which once held a six-warhead
SS-19 targeted at the United States. While in Pervomaysk, Perry attended
a ceremony marking the transfer of housing built with CTR funds to Ukrainian
strategic forces officers.
["Rizdvyany Feerverk," HOLOS UKRAINY, 1/10/96, p. 4;
See also Valeriy Druzhenko, "Yaderna Polityka: Vid Bazuvannya Do Likvidatsii
Z Mozhlyvym Sylosuvannyam?," HOLOS UKRAINY, 1/13/96, p. 4; Boys Klimenko,
"Defense Ministers Witness Demolition Of Missile Silo In Ukraine," THE
UKRAINIAN WEEKLY, 1/14/96.; "Perry Watches Ukraine Destroy Silo," REUTERS,
1/5/96.]
1/4/96:GROUP OF DEPUTIES DEMAND PREVENTION OF
MISSILE SILOS DESTRUCTION A group of deputies from the Verkhovna Rada sent a letter
to President Leonid Kuchma and Speaker Oleksandr Moroz asking them to prevent
the destruction of the missile silos for economic, environmental, and military
reasons. Ukrainian Republican Party Chairman Bohdan Yaroshynskyi, Ukrainian
Conservative Republican Party Chairman Stepan Khmara, two deputies from
the Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists, and 7 non-aligned deputies signed
the document. Khmara called the dismantling an "ominous conspiracy." The
Chairman of the Verkhonva Rada Standing Committe for Foreign Affairs and
Relations With Other CIS States Borys Oliynyk also spoke out against the
silos’ destruction.
["Kuchma Urged To Prevent Missile Silo Destruction,"
UNIAN, 1/4/96; See also "Current Events," UKRINFORM, 1/8/96.]
1995:GERMAN GOVERNMENT ALLOCATED DM2 MILLION FOR
DESTRUCTION OF MISSILE SILOS IN UKRAINE In 1995, German government allocated 2 billion Deutsche marks
for the destruction of Ukrainian missile silos. Using the environmentally
safe method of hydroabrasive cutting, which was jointly developed by Ukrainian
and German specialists, Ukrainian military experts eliminated one silo
in 12/95.
["Ukrainian-German Protocol on Assistance in the Nuclear
Disarmament of Ukraine signed," NARODNA ARMIYA, 8/29/96, p. 1; in "Mykhtyuk
& FRG Ambassador Sign Nuclear Disarmament Accord," FBIS-UMA-96-192-S,
8/29/96 ]
11/26/95:CONSTRUCTION OF JOINT UKRAINIAN-AMERICAN
MISSILE NEUTRALIZATION SITE BEGAN Construction of a missile "neutralization" site at the Southern
Design Bureau (Yuzhnoye, Pivdenne) in Dneprodzerzhynsk has begun. Destruction
of rocket motors and fuel tanks was scheduled to begin in 10/95. It is
expected that SS-19 "Stiletto" ICBMs will be dismantled at a rate of three
per month. American assistance includes construction of the actual facility,
incinerators, heavy equipment, industrial tools, diesel fuel, and gasoline.
Ukraine's contribution to the project includes the design of the facility,
a significant portion of the construction, building the missile storage
site, and cranes.
["Work begins on site to stamp out ‘Stilettos’, JANE'S
DEFENSE WEEKLY, 11/26/95, p. 10.]
11/18/95:UKRAINE WILL DESTROY 36 PERCENT OF ITS
SILOS AND USE OTHERS FOR PEACEFUL PURPOSES The Verkhovna Rada passed a decree, according to which Ukraine
must destroy 36% of its silos in compliance with SALT I. Major-General
Mykola Ovcharenko, the head of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's verification
center, reported that Ukrainian experts are planning peaceful uses for
the other 64% of the silos. An Interagency Commission on the Utilization
of Missile Launch Silos For Peaceful Purposes must develop proposals for
the peaceful utilization of the silos and submit them to the Cabinet of
Ministers.
[Oleksandr Serdyuk, "What Fate Awaits The Missile Silos?"
NARODNAYA ARMIYA, p. 1, 1/24/96; INTERFAX, 1/3/96.]
5/4/95:EQUIPMENT PROVIDED BY CTR PROGRAM WAS SENT
TO KYIV AND DNIPROPETRIVSK The CTR program provided $3,311,889 for vehicles, copiers,
computer equipment and supplies, a tractor trailer, fuel containers, and
other miscellaneous equipment sent to Kyiv and Dnipropetrivsk from 3/1/94-5/4/95.
All the equipment was designated for neutralization facilities connected
to strategic nuclear arms elimination.
["Weapons Of Mass Destruction," GAO REPORT TO CONGRESSIONAL
COMMITTEES, 9/95, p. 16.]
3/30/95:CTR SENDS EQUIPMENT TO UMAN CTR funds provided bulldozers, dump trucks, and tractor trailers
to Uman worth a total of $3,327,433 for silo elimination.
["Weapons Of Mass Destruction," GAO REPORT TO CONGRESSIONAL
COMMITTEES, 9/95, p. 16.]
3/14/95:PAVLOHRAD MECHANICAL PLANT DOES NOT PRODUCE
SS-24s American observers at the Pavlohrad Mechanical Plant have
confirmed that SS-24s are no longer being produced at this site.
[UNIAN (Kyiv), 3/14/95, in "US Inspectors at Pavlohrad
Missile Plant," FBIS-SOV-95-069, 3/14/95.]
1/26/95:GERMAN OR AMERICAN METHODS WILL BE USED
IN SILO DISMANTLING Ukraine is planning to begin the process of dismantling the
missile launch sites during summer 1995, but it is uncertain whether the
American or the German method will be used. The American method uses explosives
while the German process entails cutting up the silos and then concreting
the lower portion of the launchers. The German method seems to be preferable,
according to the Defense Ministry, since many of the launch facilities
are located in populated areas.
[UNIAN (Kyiv), 1/26/95, in "Ministry Works on Missile
Silo Destruction Plans," FBIS-SOV-95-018, 1/26/95.]
1/16/95:MISSILE SILOS TO BE SALVAGED Valeriy Shmarov stated that Ukraine is planning to salvage
strategic missile silos this summer. These unoccupied silos will not be
blown up since they are located near populated areas. According to the
START I Treaty, missile silos can be disposed of either by blowing them
up or by excavating to a depth of no less than eight meters; this means
that, for the SS-19 and SS-24 silos, the top third of the silo will have
to be dug out. Germany and the United States are providing Ukraine with
the financial resources to eliminate the silos.
["In Ukraine," POST-SOVIET NUCLEAR AND DEFENSE MONITOR,
1/16/95, Vol.2, No. 11, p. 12.]
12/9/94:FATE OF MISSILE FUEL FROM DISMANTLED SS-19
IS UNCERTAIN American defense contractors from the Morrison-Knudson Corp.
are working with Ukrainian experts at the Yuzhmash (Pivdenmash) factory
to destroy the first seven of 130 SS-19s. A new plant is being built to
clean out and cut up these 60-foot missile shells. The US Defense Nuclear
Agency decided to contract with a Ukrainian firm because its local presence
would facilitate the process and also because the Yuzhmash (Pivdenmash)
plant, which produced 60% of Soviet strategic missiles, has experience
with Ukrainian rocket fuel. Once the toxic fuel is removed, the rockets
shells will be steam cleaned in order to remove the fuel residue of amyl
and heptyl. The shells will then be available for reuse as fertilizer canisters,
fuel tanks, or agricultural silos. The fate of the rocket fuel is still
uncertain; the United States wants to incinerate the fuel due to its extreme
toxicity, but Ukraine prefers to find an industrial use for it. However,
Ukraine lacks a suitable storage site for the recovered fuel.
[Jane Perlez, "US and Ukraine Cooperate To Destroy Nuclear
Arsenal," THE NEW YORK TIMES, 12/9/94, pp. A1, A6.]
10/13/94:GERMANY WILL PROVIDE EQUIPMENT FOR DESTRUCTION
OF MISSILE SILOS Ukraine and Germany signed a protocol on the elimination
of underground missile silos; this protocol falls under the general nuclear
disarmament cooperation framework signed on 6/10/93. Germany will provide
the equipment needed for the liquidation of the silos. A timetable for
the destruction will be drawn up shortly after the process begins, in accordance
with the START I Treaty. Germany already has a similar agreement with Russia.
Ukrainian officials stated that it was important that German funds be used
to pay Ukrainian salaries and to purchase Ukrainian-made equipment.
[UNIAN, 10/13/94, in "Protocol with Germany to Liquidate
Strategic Missile Silos," FBIS-SOV-94-199, 10/13/94.]
10/1/94:CTR FUNDS PROVIDE EQUIPMENT TO PERVOMAYSK CTR funds provided saws, drills, jacks, an air compressor,
and other miscellaneous equipment to Pervomaysk worth a total of $67,113
for missile silo elimination.
["Weapons of Mass Destruction," GAO REPORT TO CONGRESSIONAL
COMMITTEES, 9/95, p. 16.]
