Ukraine sold banned long-range missiles to China, Iran: Ivanov

Moscow, June 30 (UNI) Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov today said Ukraine sold 12 long-range cruise missiles to China and Iran in 2001- 2002.

A Ukrainian company ''Progress'' had supplied six Soviet Kh-55 Granat missiles (NATO reporting name AS-15 Kent) with nuclear capacity to China and another six missiles to Iran, RIA Novosti news agency quoted Mr Ivanov as saying at a press conference.

''This is the grossest violation of the control regime over missile technologies,'' he said, adding the authorities had been informed and an investigation started.

Mr Ivanov said the deal had been conducted via a Cyprus-based company. He pointed out that the name of the company and the value of the deal were known, but declined to disclose them.

Mr Ivanov said it was the sole violation of the non-proliferation regime in the post-Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

''Russia has been working to coordinate efforts in the non-proliferation sphere with its CIS partners and within the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization),'' he said.

Mr Ivanov also warned that it was possible that weapons of mass destruction might fall into the hands of terrorists as they had already achieved some success in their attempts to obtain highly sophisticated technologies.

The Defence Minister said Russia had a reliable system to prevent any leaks of dangerous goods or technologies from its territory.

''Any conceivable channels that could be used to leak dangerous goods and technology abroad have been dismantled quite reliably,'' Mr Ivanov said.

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