NATO to assign another $1.8 mln to Ukraine for ammo scrapping, says Ukroboronprom

Ukraine and NATO will carry on the joint ammunition disposal in 2014 in the second stage of the NATO/Partnership for Peace Trust Fund program, the Ukroboronprom press service reported quoting concern head Serhiy Hromov as saying.

NATO's NSPA agency has decided to allot another tranche of $1.8 million this year, Hromov said. He did not mention the scope and timeframe of the scrapping work.

Ukraine earlier received 685,000 euro from the NSPA for scrapping 2,740 tonnes of munitions in the first half of 2014, Hromov said.

Ukroboronprom's Ukroboronservice, Chemical Products Research Institute, Shostka Zirka and Impulse state-run plants and state-run Petrovsky Chemical Plant, will implement the works envisaged by the second stage of the project, he said.

The concern reported that Ukroboronprom plants could dispose of no less than 12,000-14,000 tonnes of munitions a year.

The NATO/PfP Trust Fund program of the destruction of conventional munitions, firearms and light weapons in Ukraine implies the disposal of 133,000 tonnes of munitions and 1.5 million pieces of firearms and light weapons in four stages within twelve years. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry said 15,000 tonnes of munitions, 400,000 pieces of light weapons and fire arms and 1,000 MANPADs were disposed of in the first stage of the program in 2006-2011. Donors allocated 10.8 million euro for the first stage. The bulk of the money came from the United States, $10 million.

The NSPA, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry and Ukrainian defense plants signed a framework agreement in April 2012 in order to continue the project: it is planned to dispose of 3 million PFM-1 antipersonnel mines, 73,500 tonnes of conventional munitions and 366,000 pieces of firearms within 3.5-4 years in the second stage, which began in 2013.

A total of 7,710 tonnes of munitions were scrapped in Ukraine in 2013, Ukroboronprom said. The NSPA investment in the project amounted to 1.036 million euro last year.

The United States is the main donor of the second stage of the project. Other donors are Germany, Switzerland, Turkey, Ireland and the European Union.

The 2013 state budget allocates 246.1 million hryvni for the disposal programs and the survivability and explosive safety of arms depots of the Defense Ministry.