Four Ukrainian Servicemen Bound for Kuwait Retract

Four servicemen of a Ukrainian chemical battalion, bound for Kuwait, have refused to participate in the mission, Ukrainian Defense Minister Vladimir Shkidchenko told a press conference in Lviv.

At the same time, he noted that all other servicemen of the battalion were willing to go. Round-the-clock communication has been arranged with Kuwait and relatives and friends of the men and officers on mission will be able to learn about their fate by telephone from the operative headquarters, he added.

The Ukrainian battalion will be stationed on a fully equipped base 70 kilometers from the Kuwaiti capital and 200 kilometers away from the Iraqi border, he said.

"There is no threat of a missile or bomb attack on the battalion as of now," said the Ukrainian defense minister.