07/26/96
TEXT: DOD ON OPENING OF UKRAINE ICBM DISMANTLEMENT FACILITY
(U.S. participates in ribbon-cutting ceremony) (390)

Washington -- The U.S. Department of Defense and the Ukraine Ministry
of Defense formally opened the ICBM (Inter-Continental Ballistic
Missile) Neutralization and Dismantlement Facility in Dnipropetrovsk
July 26.

Following is the text of the Department of Defense announcement:

(Begin text)

The Department of Defense and Ukraine's Ministry of Defense formally
opened the ICBM Neutralization and Dismantlement Facility in
Dnipropetrovsk today (July 26, 1996).  Participating in the ceremony
for the United States was Dr. Harold P. Smith, assistant to the U.S.
Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense
Programs and U.S. Ambassador William Green Miller.  This facility has
been developed to safely eliminate 130 SS-19 ICBMs previously deployed
in Ukraine, whose silos are scheduled for destruction under START I. 
During the Cold War, each SS-19, when deployed, was capable of
delivering six nuclear weapons to any location in the United States.

This facility, located at the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau and Yuzhmash
Production Plant, formerly designed, built, and tested missiles and
missile components.  Today it begins neutralizing and dismantling
SS-19 ICBMs and is projected to eliminate missiles at a rate of four
or more each month.

The entire elimination process involves removing the SS-19 missile
warheads, extracting the fuel, removing them from their silos and then
shipping them to a temporary storage facility or to Dnipropetrovsk for
neutralization and dismantlement.  The process is completed by
destroying the missile and launch control silos.

U.S. assistance in this project is funded under a $244.7 million
Implementing Agreement for Strategic Nuclear Arms Elimination
assistance signed December 15, 1993, and amended on March 21, 1994,
April 1, 1995, June 27, 1995, and June 4, 1996, by the U.S. Department
of Defense (DOD) and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

As of July 15, 1996, DOD has contracted for more than $181.7 million
in assistance to support Ukraine's strategic nuclear arms elimination
efforts and has allocated over $396 million for this and other CTR
programs in Ukraine.  Assistance also was provided for SS-19 and SS-24
ICBM and AS-15 ALCM warhead deactivation and shipment to Russia for
dismantlement.  Removal of all nuclear warheads from Ukraine was
completed by June 1, 1996.

(End text)