Nuclear Weapon Bases in the Soviet Union

The rapid disintegration of the Soviet central government has raised concern in the Bush Administration about the control and safety of 27,000 nuclear weapons, stored mostly in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus that make up the new Slavic commonwealth and in Kazakhstan. * WHO CONTROLS THEM--A Soviet Defense Ministry spokesman said the nuclear force is still controlled by the military, under the leadership of the State Council. The body, created by the Soviet Parliament to govern the nation temporarily, is composed of President Mikhail S. Gorbachev; the leaders of the 12 remaining republics; the defense and interior ministers, the head of the KGB and economic advisers. * WHERE THEY ARE LOCATED--Eighty percent of the Soviet Union’s nuclear weapons are based in Russia, but some are also located in Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus. While most of the strategic, or long-range, force is in Russia, there also are three batteries of SS-18 ICBMs in Kazakhstan; three batteries of SS-19 ICBMs in Ukraine, and a deployment of rail-based mobile SS-25 ICBMs in Ukraine. Soviet Defense Ministry officials also say a battery of strategic missiles is in Belarus but declined to specify them. Nuclear-tipped artillery batteries and tactical, or short-range, missiles are located in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. A long-range bomber base also is located in Kazakhstan. * REPUBLICS’ POLICY--In their agreement reached Sunday, the leaders of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine claimed “common control over nuclear armaments, which will be regulated by special agreement,” but acknowledged that they still had to work out the details. In the past, Russian President Boris N. Yeltsin has said he would welcome the moving of all nuclear weapons from other republics to his. Ukraine President Leonid M. Kravchuk said the republic wants to be nuclear-free, but also said he wants a negotiated withdrawal of the weapons, with Ukrainian control. Kazakhstan President Nursultan A. Nazarbayev has said he wants to retain the nuclear weapons in his republic. Belarus has said it wants to be nuclear-free.