Ukraine Dismantles Final Strategic Bomber

Ukraine announced today that it has scrapped the last of its Soviet-era heavy bombers, RIA Novosti reported (see GSN, Jan. 17).

U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst and defense officials from both countries watched the dismantlement of the Tu-22 Backfire bomber at the Poltava Air Force Base, RIA reported.

In line with the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I) between the Soviet Union and the United States, Ukraine has relinquished or destroyed all its nuclear weapons and cut strategic offensive arms, according to RIA.

Four Soviet successor states — Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine — were left with significant nuclear weapons stockpiles and automatically became parties to the treaty when the Soviet Union collapsed (RIA Novosti, Jan. 27).

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