Only war missiles feel free in sky over Ukraine

An Israeli pilot made a sensational statement: he saw a surface-to-air missile launched from a region near Ukrainian city of Dnepropetrovsk against his plane. It is to be mentioned that earlier, on October 4, 2001 an exercise missile was launched from the Cape of Opuk in the Crimea (Ukraine) against a Siberia airline’s plane. Seventy eight people were killed in the tragedy: 66 passengers (Israelis mostly) and 12 crew members. Problem of compensations to families of the killed is not yet settled.

Press-secretary of Ukrainian Defense Ministry Konstantin Khivrenko says, no missile launching exercise has been held within several past days over Ukraine.

But the statement causes just smiles among people aware of the situation. In both cases, when missiles hit non-military objects, Ukrainian servicemen lied that military technique was not involved in the catastrophes. As it turned out later, a missile launched 90 km from the town of Brovarov near Kiev hit a nine-storey apartment house, several people were killed. Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Kuzmuk disposed of complete information about the tragedy, however he lied to the people, servicemen were not guilty of the tragedy.

It is perfectly clear that missiles never start themselves. Information came from some sources that exercises designed to repulse inimical attacks were held near Dnepropetrovsk till July 6. Is not it possible that the missile that nearly hit Israeli airline’s Boeing-757 was launched from same very area? What is going to be the reaction of the Ukrainian government to the fact?

Alexander Gorobets PRAVDA.Ru Kiev Ukraine

Translated by Maria Gousseva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/07/05/43733.html