UKRAINE: SCUD INVENTORY REQUEST DELIVERED

S E C R E T KYIV 000971 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT ALSO FOR ISN, EUR/UMB, EUR/PRA E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/24/2017 TAGS: ETTC PARM PREL MTCRE MNUC UP SUBJECT: UKRAINE: SCUD INVENTORY REQUEST DELIVERED REF: A. STATE 40971 ¶B. KYIV 125 Classified By: Political Counselor Kent Logsdon for reasons 1.4(b,c,d) ¶1. (S) We delivered ref A points renewing our request for a SCUD missile inventory March 30 to MFA Arms Control and Military Technical Cooperation Department Director Volodymyr Belashov. Belashov noted the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense had the responsibility for providing the inventory and was working through the procedures necessary for its release. He promised to relay our request to his MOD counterparts. ¶2. (S) On April 23, the Ambassador raised the issue with Defense Minister Hrytsenko; on April 24, we followed up directly with Deputy Defense Minister Volodymyr Tereshchenko. Tereshchenko said MOD was still working through the procedures to remove SCUD missiles as a weapon in active use by the Ukrainian military (note: thereby rendering them obsolete and available for elimination). In the meantime, MOD stood ready to hold concrete discussions to put a program in place for SCUD missile destruction. Tereshchenko said MOD staff would prepare a letter with a proposal regarding SCUD destruction and an invitation to hold a bilateral experts-level meeting. ¶3. (U) Visit Embassy Kyiv's classified website: www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/kiev. Taylor