The United States could increase funding for the program of the disposal of solid propellant for RS-22 intercontinental ballistic missiles (SS-24 under the NATO classification) at the facilities of Pavlohrad chemical plant (Dnipropetrovsk region).
A senior military source told Interfax-Ukraine that during talks held at the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) a few days ago the Ukrainian and American sides discussed the issues of expanding cooperation, including financial, under the program.
“Given the difficult current economic situation in Ukraine, due to the load on the budget expenditure in terms of external aggression, the government funding for the program this year is questionable. Accordingly, there arises the question of the realism of the terms of the program completion previously agreed with the United States,” the interlocutor of the agency said.
According to him, the American partners confirmed their interest in the successful completion of the project for disposing SS-24 rocket fuel and voiced the readiness to consider the possibility of increasing financial assistance for this purpose in the new fiscal year.
According to the source, the estimated need for funding to complete the program is about $120 million.
