Ukraine Warheads Arrive in Russia
A heavily guarded train carrying nuclear warheads along a secret route arrived in Russia this weekend as part of a deal to scrap deadly arms based on Ukrainian soil.
Russia’s Itar-Tass news agency quoted high-ranking nuclear experts as saying the warheads would be dismantled by Russian companies.
Ukraine, left with about 1,600 warheads on its territory when the Soviet Union fell apart in 1991, agreed to ship them to Russia for destruction under a deal sealed when President Clinton visited Russia and Ukraine in January.
The January disarmament deal offered Kiev cash and enriched uranium to run its nuclear power stations in exchange for agreement to hand over the warheads.
Ukraine promised to transfer at least 200 nuclear warheads to Russia within 10 months and turn over the rest of its nuclear stockpile “in the shortest possible time.”
In addition, Ukraine’s 46 SS-24 missiles should be deactivated within 10 months by having their warheads removed.
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