Ukraine's acting Defense Minister Valeriy Ivaschenko and U.S. Charge d'Affaires in Ukraine James Pettit have signed a memorandum of understanding between the Ukrainian Defense Ministry and the U.S. Department of State on assistance in scrapping and demilitarizing 9K72 missile systems (NATO reporting name Scud).
"By implementing this project Ukraine will draw a line under the elimination of delivery means for nuclear weapons, and weapons of mass destruction in its territory," Ivaschenko said after the signing ceremony in Kyiv on Monday, according to the Defense Ministry’s press service.
This project will help draw resources for recycling components of the rocket fuel, known as melange, he said.
"The memorandum gives Ukraine additional capabilities to recycle melange, stored in large amounts in Ukraine, using funding to be provided by the U.S. government," Ivaschenko said.
Pettit, in turn, said that the project to eliminate and recycle Scud missile systems, as well as equipment, materials and components of rocket fuel, was intended for a period ending in 2015.
Ukraine has 16,000 tonnes of excess melange kept at six rocket fuel storage facilities of the Ukrainian armed forces.
