(S) UKRAINE: YUZHNOYE LIQUID FUEL ROCKET

S E C R E T KYIV 000758 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT ALSO FOR ISN/MTR, EUR/UMB, EUR/PRA E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/30/2017 TAGS: ETTC MNUC PARM PREL MTCRE CH UP SUBJECT: (S) UKRAINE: YUZHNOYE LIQUID FUEL ROCKET COOPERATION WITH CHINA REF: STATE 34566 Classified By: Political Counselor Kent Logsdon for reasons 1.4(b,c,d) ¶1. (S) We relayed reftel points March 30 to MFA Arms Control and Military Technical Cooperation Department Director Volodymyr Belashov regarding U.S. concerns about Ukrainian Yuzhnoye company's cooperation with Chinese 11 Institute on development of the RD-120 liquid-fuel rocket engine. Counselor Olexander Bondarenko and Attache Maryna Stroga from Belashov's department were also present. ¶2. (S) Belashov said he would pass the new information to the relevant Ukrainian government offices for follow-up and noted in passing his understanding that the preparation time required to initiate the RD-120 liquid rocket engine made it unsuitable for military applications. ¶3. (U) Visit Embassy Kyiv's classified website: www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/kiev. Taylor