A team from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) is due to arrive in Kyiv in March or April to discuss terms for a planned contract to allow the DLR to use Ukraine's Automatic System of Control and Analysis of Outer Space (SKAKO), which operates Ukrainian missile warning systems in Sevastopol and Mukacheve.

The planned visit is based on an agreement that followed talks in Germany between the Ukrainian National Space Agency and DLR, a source close to the talks told Interfax.

One purpose of the planned deal is to use SKAKO to protect German Earth observation satellites TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X, and German research satellites from colliding with various space objects, the source said.

"The two sides have reached a fundamental understanding on collaboration. Currently negotiations are continuing on agreements over technical aspects of partnership," he said.

The source said the terms for the future contract might be agreed this spring. He declined to disclose the financial aspects of the project.

Dnepr missile warning systems in Sevastopol and Mukacheve, the latest in the Dnepr radar series, have been part of SKAKO since April 2009 after Russia stopped using them in February last year.