Ukraine denies al-Qaida nuclear claim

Ukraine denied today that some of its scientists had sold suitcase sized nuclear weapons to the al-Qaida terror group.

The Foreign Ministry in Kiev said the reports were “disinformation”.

Egypt’s al-Hayat newspaper, citing unnamed al-Qaida sources in Pakistan, had reported that Ukrainian scientists had provided tactical nuclear weapons to members of Osama bin Laden’s terror network

Ministry spokesman Markian Lubkiyvskyi said the report was “absolutely groundless and cause for surprise.”

Al-Hayat claimed the deal for an unspecified number of “suitcase bombs” had been struck in the Afghan city of Kandahar in 1998.

The bombs were allegedly intended for attacking American targets.

Lubkiyvskyi stressed that Ukraine had no nuclear weapons in 1998 because the ex-Soviet republic had transferred all of them to Russia by June 1, 1996.

All transfers were verified three times by Ukrainian and Russian officials, he added.

In 1993, Ukraine signed a pact with the United States and Russia volunteering to lay down its arsenal of some 1,900 nuclear missiles inherited from the Soviet Union.

Lubkiyvskyi insisted that Ukraine conscientiously adheres to its obligations under the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty.

In Moscow, Colonel General Yuri Baluyevsky, the first deputy chief of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, reaffirmed today that Ukraine had turned all its Soviet-era nuclear weapons to Russia.

All Russian nuclear weapons have been reliably stored, he said.

Oleksandr Myakushko, deputy head of Ukraine’s Export Control bureau, said “Ukraine has always rigidly adhered to all international sanctions with respect to the Taliban,” adding that Ukraine has not had any weapons contracts with Afghanistan since 1993.

“All nuclear materials on our territory are under permanent and effective international control,” in accordance with Ukraine’s obligations to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Lubkiyvskyi said.

The United States has recently stepped up efforts to help Ukraine tighten its border controls to prevent the leakage of sensitive military technologies and weapons materials.