Ukraine To Liquidate The Last Ss-24 ICBM

Ukraine is going to liquidate on Tuesday the last out of 46 SS-24 ICBM silos which it inherited from the Soviet Union. The press service of the Ukrainian defence ministry reported that the liquidation of the silo will take place near the town of Pervomaisk, Nikolayev region, where the 43rd army of the Strategic Missile Force was deployed in the Soviet times. Ukraine began liquidating its nuclear arsenal after it proclaimed its nuclear-free status and signed in a treaty on limitation and reduction of strategic offensive weapons in 1991. The utilisation of SS-24 missiles and liquidation of the silos are being financed by the United States. Before proclaiming independence Ukraine occupied the third place in the world as far as nuclear potential is concerned. It inherited from the USSR 130 SS-19 and 46 SS-24 strategic missiles. All of them were dismantled and transported to Russia. In exchange, Ukraine received nuclear fuel for atomic power stations.