KIEV, Ukraine (AP) -- The U.S. ambassador joined senior Ukraine defense officials Friday to watch Ukraine destroy the last one of more than 100 SS-19 nuclear missiles under a U.S.-financed disarmament program.
The elimination of the final missile was successfully completed in the southeastern city of Dnipropetrovsk at a special dismantling facility built by U.S. companies, the U.S. Embassy in Kiev said. American Ambassador Steven Pifer attended.Ukraine inherited the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal with the 1991 Soviet collapse, which included 130 SS-19 missiles, 46 SS-24 missiles and 44 strategic bombers.
Of these, the country already has successfully destroyed all of the SS-19 missiles and respective missile launch silos, one SS-24 silo and one bomber.
The United States has contributed more than $500 million to help Ukraine dismantle the nuclear weapons infrastructure.