January 26, 2005 :: Interfax :: News
The Russian Interfax military news agency stressed in a January 25 report that strategic ballistic missile cooperation between Russia and Ukraine will continue unabated, despite the recent election of Westward-leaning Yushchenko. Interfax quotes Aleksandr Ryazhskikh, former deputy commander of the Strategic Missile Troops of Russia as saying that such missile cooperation was necessary for Russia’s efforts to extend the combat-ready service life of strategic missiles. Missiles whose service lives are being extended include the SS-18 and SS-19. Ryazhskikh noted that after the fall of the Soviet Union, “Up to 40 per cent of the companies involved in cooperation in producing strategic missiles stayed in Ukraine. It is impossible to do without these companies in extending the guaranteed service life.” Thus, whatever appearances of Western-Ukrainian cooperation, it seems likely that Russia will strongly oppose any significant breakdown of its relations with Ukraine.
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