Ukraine regime accused of selling weapons? You don’t say.
KIEV, Ukraine (AP)— A senior lawmaker alleges that Ukraine sold nuclear-capable cruise missiles to Iran and China in violation of international nonproliferation treaties and is demanding the new government launch a full investigation.
The allegations were made in a letter — made available to The Associated Press on Tuesday — by lawmaker Hrihory Omelchenko and addressed to President Viktor Yushchenko, a reformist who took office last week.
Yushchenko, who takes over from Leonid Kuchma, has promised a thorough investigation of corruption and misdeeds that allegedly flourished during his predecessor’s 10 years as president. Kuchma allegedly sanctioned the sale of sophisticated radar systems to Iraq in 2002, contravening U.N. sanctions.
In the letter, Omelchenko said an investigation launched last summer “proved that some 20 air-launched Kh-55 and Kh-55M cruise missiles with nuclear capability were exported to third countries“ in contravention of international treaties.
“Six missiles destined for Russia ended up in Iran … six missiles destined for Russia ended up in China” the letter said. It said the exports occurred during 1999 to 2001.
[…] Last year Ukrainian police arrested four men from Greece, Pakistan and Iraq on suspicion of attempted illegal weapons trade worth more than $800 million for an unspecified force fighting in Iraq.
Last March, former Defense Minister Yevhen Marchuk warned that several hundred Soviet-built SA-2 surface-to-air missiles are unaccounted for. Defense officials later claimed that these missiles from arsenals in former Warsaw Pact member countries had been brought to Ukraine for decommissioning and were lost due to “accounting problems” and “the absence of records.”
PTBC was founded by Mr. Johannesen in 2000.
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