UKRAINE: SCUD INVENTORY UPDATE

S E C R E T KYIV 000125

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT ALSO FOR ISN, EUR/UMB, EUR/PRA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/19/2017
TAGS: ETTC PARM PREL MTCRE MNUC UP
SUBJECT: UKRAINE: SCUD INVENTORY UPDATE

REF: A. 06 KYIV 4432


B. 06 KIEV 2452

C. 06 STATE 99428

Classified By: Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Kent Logsdon for reasons
1.4(b,c,d)


1. (U) This is an action request. See para 5.


2. (S) During a January 17 meeting, Deputy Defense Minister
Tereshchenko expressed optimism to visiting EUR/PRA Director
Anita Friedt, PM/WRA Deputy Director Steven Costner, and DOD
and Embassy Kyiv representatives that the Ukrainian
government would soon be able to release a long-promised SCUD
missile inventory (reftels).


3. (S) Acknowledging Friedt's point that the Ukrainian
government had committed to destroy its SCUD missiles in
return for USG support for Ukraine's MTCR membership,
Tereshchenko said he had been a commander of rocket forces as
a Ukrainian artillery officer about ten years ago. He had
retired in 2000 and was now a civilian official, so, despite
his background, other Ministry of Defense officials and the
Chief of the General Staff had responsibility for decisions
regarding SCUD missiles. In initial consultations with the
relevant officials, Tereshchenko had received a positive
response to his proposal to decommission SCUD missiles. Once
they were out of the active military inventory, information
on their number and location would no longer be considered
classified and he would skirt the difficulty of obtaining
authority to release such classified information to the USG.
The next step would be the release of a Ministry of Defense
directive to decommission the missiles, but the directive had
not yet been authorized. Tereshchenko said he would
re-engage on the issue and cite his meeting as evidence of
continued USG interest in the matter.


4. (S) Tereshchenko said he had heard that the USG was
interested in purchasing several SCUD missile systems for
training its personnel. He inquired whether the USG still
intended to do so. This information would be factored into
Ministry of Defense plans for SCUD destruction.


5. (U) Request Department provide information to respond to
Tereshchenko's inquiry in para 4.


6. (U) Visit Embassy Kyiv's classified website:
www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/kiev.
Taylor