Fears that Ukraine has plans to sell the production technology of heavy class R-36M2 Voevoda intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) to third countries published by the Foreign Ministry of Russia are groundless, and maybe someone is trying to rattle Moscow's nerves, a source in the Ukrainian aerospace sector has said.

"This is obvious nonsense. The MTCR [Missile Technology Control Regime] is a regime in force, and even if someone wants to break it today, it would be very hard to do this," a high-rank military official said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine, commenting on the statement of the Foreign Ministry of Russia.

"I would not link this statement with Crimea and the crisis of the international security system caused by the Russian aggression and annexation of Crimea, as well as bilateral relations with Russia," he said.

"It's difficult to say where it is coming from. Maybe it was done by someone from Ukraine, who are not close to the MTCR, to rattle the nerves of the northern neighbor," he said, adding that he was certain no head of any Ukrainian aerospace enterprise was responsible.

The Foreign Ministry of Russia on April 7 spread a statement in which Russia said that Ukraine, as a member of the MTCR and a signatory to the Hague Code of Conduct (HCC) to prevent the proliferation of ballistic missiles, carries serious political obligations. In particular, particular restraint shall be made when considering transferring technology for constructing missiles capable of carrying a payload of 500 kilograms over a distance of 300 kilometers.

The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that some media reports mentioned negotiations by Ukraine's Pivdenmash (Dnipropetrovsk) with representatives of some countries on a possible sale of Voevoda ICBM secrets.

"Despite the difficult political situation in Ukraine, the absence of a legitimate sovereign power, the current leaders of Ukraine shall exercise due responsibility and be fully compliant with obligations set in MTCR and the HCC. Ukraine shall refrain from steps that could undermine the existing nonproliferation regimes and their non-proliferation delivery means of weapons of mass destruction," reads the statement of the Russian ministry.

The Missile Technology Control Regime is an informal and voluntary association of countries which share the goals of non-proliferation of unmanned delivery systems capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction, and which seek to coordinate national export licensing efforts aimed at preventing their proliferation. The MTCR was originally established in 1987 by Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Since that time, the number of MTCR partners has increased to a total of 34 countries, all of which have equal standing within the regime.

Ukraine joined the MTCR in 1998.

Today, Pivdenne Design Bureau (Dnipropetrovsk) is prolonging the exploitation terms of ICBMs RS-20V in the interests of Russian Strategic Missile Forces under an intergovernmental agreements signed in 2006.