UKRSPETSEXPORT

The state-owned company UkrSpetsExport deals in export and import of products and services for military and special purposes. UKRSPETSEXPORT [State Company for Export and Import of Military and Special Products and Services] is the only organisation authorised by the Ukrainian Government to implement export potential of the military industrial complex of the Ukraine. During the time of its existence the UKRSPETSEXPORT has arranged export-import deliveries of military and special equipment, weapon and rendering services to more than 30 countries of the world, but the scope of deliveries and the range of products is still far from actual possibilities of the Military and Industrial Complex MIC of the country.

As far as the volume of export is concerned, UkrHazprom was on top of the list for 1998 - US$ 3,242,064,000. Export by ZaporizhStal, which is second on the list, was by far lower - US$ 879,226,000, by KryvorizhStal - US$ 798,972,000, Mariupol-based Illich works - US$ 635,328,000, UkrSpetsExport (military machinery) - US$ 300 million.

UkrSpetsExport Director General Valery Malev was killed in a road accident on 06 March 2002. Malev had headed Ukrspetsexport since 1998. On 12 March, the head of the parliamentary commission investigating the murder of Heorhiy Gongadze, Oleksandr Zhyr, announced that his committee has evidence that President Leonid Kuchma sold weapons to Iraq. The details of those sales were recorded by Major Mykola Melnychenko in the president's office and involved discussions between Ukrspetsexport head Valeriy Malev and President Kuchma.

On 26 March 2002 there was held a press-conference of the Head of The Committee On The Issues of Military-Technical Cooperation at the President of Ukraine Mr. L.M. Rozen, the Head of The State Service Of Export Control Mr. O.S. Legeida and the First Deputy Director General of the State Company "Ukrspetsexport" Mr. V.P. Korenkov who denied accusations of the involvement of Ukraine into illicit supply of arms and military technique to Iraq. The Kolchuga passive target-detection system, made by the Donetsk company Topaz, was first shown at the IDEF-99 arms fair in 1999 and many preliminary orders had been placed for it. It was upgraded in 2000, and the manufacturers claimed that there were no similar systems in the world.