Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KIEV3710
2006-09-26 14:32:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kyiv
Cable title:
UKRAINE: OFFICIALS DENY THAT KOLCHUGAS SOLD TO IRAN
how-toVZCZCXRO0776 PP RUEHDBU DE RUEHKV #3710 2691432 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 261432Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY KIEV TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1637 INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 0148
C O N F I D E N T I A L KIEV 003710
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/26/2016
TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC PINR IR UP
SUBJECT: UKRAINE: OFFICIALS DENY THAT KOLCHUGAS SOLD TO IRAN
REF: KIEV 1921
Classified By: Ambassador for reasons 1.4 (b,d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L KIEV 003710
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/26/2016
TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC PINR IR UP
SUBJECT: UKRAINE: OFFICIALS DENY THAT KOLCHUGAS SOLD TO IRAN
REF: KIEV 1921
Classified By: Ambassador for reasons 1.4 (b,d).
1. (U) The Jane's Defense Weekly, dated September 27, 2006,
carried a story, strangely datelined Bangkok, reporting that
Ukraine had recently delivered or was imminently preparing to
deliver an unknown number of Kolchuga systems to Iran for an
estimated price of USD25 million per system. As accurately
detailed in the article, the Kolchuga-M passive detection
system is truck-mounted and detects aircraft electromagnetic
emissions in the VHF, UHF, and SHF wavebands. It identifies
and tracks incoming aircraft at long range for acquisition by
separate air defense systems. In 2002, Ukraine's alleged
sales of Kolchugas to Iraq strained its relations with the
U.S., although no Kolchugas were subsequently found in Iraq.
2. (C) On September 25, Ambassador asked First Deputy Prime
Minister Mykola Azarov about the accuracy of the report.
Azarov said he doubted the report was true, but promised to
look into it. In a separate conversation, Deputy Foreign
Minister Andriy Veselovsky suggested to Ambassador that some
UK publications were known to take money from the Russians,
so should not be trusted.
3. (C) Also on September 25 DCM contacted MFA Arms Control
and Military Technical Cooperation Department Director
Volodymyr Belashov to ask about the accuracy of the report.
Belashov said during the year's time that he held his current
position, he had been part of the interagency committee under
the President's office that approved requests for export
licenses of military and dual-use technology. During his
time on the committee, he had seen no requests for exports of
military technology or equipment to Iran and that this report
was completely unexpected - "like snow in summer." Ukrainian
companies selling or servicing military hardware were aware
of the restrictions on doing business with Iran and so
generally avoided doing business with the country. Ukrainian
firms only had some non-military cooperation with Iranian
counterparts. Nevertheless, MFA had immediately reacted to
the initial story to verify its possible accuracy. Written
inquiries had gone out to the Ukrainian Security Service
(SBU) and th
e State Export Committee with negative initial results, but
MFA was awaiting additional confirmation.
4. (C) Belashov argued that a clandestine sale to Iran was
difficult. In the export-licensing process, state-owned
purveyors of military hardware and technology had to receive
approvals at each stage of doing business with foreign
governments. First, the companies had to receive permission
to negotiate a possible sale, then again to sign a contract,
and then receive final permission actually to deliver their
product. Belashov averred that the SBU, the State Customs
Service, and the State Border Guards Service would have
detected any unauthorized shipment of Kolchugas to Iran. The
one possible route for Kolchugas to end up in Iran, he
admitted, would be the sale/third-party transfer (in
violation of the end-use certificate) by a country that
already possessed Kolchugas. Belashov noted that Ukraine had
sold Kolchugas to China and Turkmenistan.
5. (C) Belashov noted that the story originally appeared
either September 23 or 24 in a British tabloid, and was only
subsequently picked up by Jane's. Belashov asked DCM to
consider who would have the motivation to plant such a story
in the press. (We were informally advised, however, that the
information for the news story originated from Vietnamese
arms traders working in Central Europe.)
6. (U) Note: While in New York to attend the UN General
Assembly session, the media reported Ukrainian FM Tarasyuk
met with his Iranian counterpart, Manuchehr Mottaki,
September 22 to discuss joint production of the AN-140
aircraft. The two officials agreed to hold a session of the
Ukraine-Iran commission for trade and economic cooperation
before the end of 2006. The article observed that trade
turnover between Ukraine and Iran grew in 2005 by 34 percent
over 2004, reaching U.S. $595 million. End note.
7. (U) We will follow up with Belashov September 26.
8. (U) Visit Embassy Kiev's classified website:
www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/kiev.
Taylor
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/26/2016
TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC PINR IR UP
SUBJECT: UKRAINE: OFFICIALS DENY THAT KOLCHUGAS SOLD TO IRAN
REF: KIEV 1921
Classified By: Ambassador for reasons 1.4 (b,d).
1. (U) The Jane's Defense Weekly, dated September 27, 2006,
carried a story, strangely datelined Bangkok, reporting that
Ukraine had recently delivered or was imminently preparing to
deliver an unknown number of Kolchuga systems to Iran for an
estimated price of USD25 million per system. As accurately
detailed in the article, the Kolchuga-M passive detection
system is truck-mounted and detects aircraft electromagnetic
emissions in the VHF, UHF, and SHF wavebands. It identifies
and tracks incoming aircraft at long range for acquisition by
separate air defense systems. In 2002, Ukraine's alleged
sales of Kolchugas to Iraq strained its relations with the
U.S., although no Kolchugas were subsequently found in Iraq.
2. (C) On September 25, Ambassador asked First Deputy Prime
Minister Mykola Azarov about the accuracy of the report.
Azarov said he doubted the report was true, but promised to
look into it. In a separate conversation, Deputy Foreign
Minister Andriy Veselovsky suggested to Ambassador that some
UK publications were known to take money from the Russians,
so should not be trusted.
3. (C) Also on September 25 DCM contacted MFA Arms Control
and Military Technical Cooperation Department Director
Volodymyr Belashov to ask about the accuracy of the report.
Belashov said during the year's time that he held his current
position, he had been part of the interagency committee under
the President's office that approved requests for export
licenses of military and dual-use technology. During his
time on the committee, he had seen no requests for exports of
military technology or equipment to Iran and that this report
was completely unexpected - "like snow in summer." Ukrainian
companies selling or servicing military hardware were aware
of the restrictions on doing business with Iran and so
generally avoided doing business with the country. Ukrainian
firms only had some non-military cooperation with Iranian
counterparts. Nevertheless, MFA had immediately reacted to
the initial story to verify its possible accuracy. Written
inquiries had gone out to the Ukrainian Security Service
(SBU) and th
e State Export Committee with negative initial results, but
MFA was awaiting additional confirmation.
4. (C) Belashov argued that a clandestine sale to Iran was
difficult. In the export-licensing process, state-owned
purveyors of military hardware and technology had to receive
approvals at each stage of doing business with foreign
governments. First, the companies had to receive permission
to negotiate a possible sale, then again to sign a contract,
and then receive final permission actually to deliver their
product. Belashov averred that the SBU, the State Customs
Service, and the State Border Guards Service would have
detected any unauthorized shipment of Kolchugas to Iran. The
one possible route for Kolchugas to end up in Iran, he
admitted, would be the sale/third-party transfer (in
violation of the end-use certificate) by a country that
already possessed Kolchugas. Belashov noted that Ukraine had
sold Kolchugas to China and Turkmenistan.
5. (C) Belashov noted that the story originally appeared
either September 23 or 24 in a British tabloid, and was only
subsequently picked up by Jane's. Belashov asked DCM to
consider who would have the motivation to plant such a story
in the press. (We were informally advised, however, that the
information for the news story originated from Vietnamese
arms traders working in Central Europe.)
6. (U) Note: While in New York to attend the UN General
Assembly session, the media reported Ukrainian FM Tarasyuk
met with his Iranian counterpart, Manuchehr Mottaki,
September 22 to discuss joint production of the AN-140
aircraft. The two officials agreed to hold a session of the
Ukraine-Iran commission for trade and economic cooperation
before the end of 2006. The article observed that trade
turnover between Ukraine and Iran grew in 2005 by 34 percent
over 2004, reaching U.S. $595 million. End note.
7. (U) We will follow up with Belashov September 26.
8. (U) Visit Embassy Kiev's classified website:
www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/kiev.
Taylor