Blue &Yellow: Politics and Economics in Ukraine

Commission Discovers Facts Proving Ukrainian Arms Supplies To Georgia

TSKHINVALI, November 3 (Itar-Tass) -- Ukraine's ad hoc commission investigating arms supplies to Georgia has discovered facts in South Ossetia that confirm Ukrainian arms supplies to Georgia.

"We have received information and facts we need for our investigation. We have seen here Ukrainian hardware left by the Georgian army and received information about Ukrainian specialists who were involved in combat actions," the head of the commission, Valery Konovalyuk, said on Monday.

"In order to complete the investigation, the commission also needs information from the Georgian side, but Georgia has not provided us with the necessary information about Ukrainian arms supplies before and during the conflict," Konovalyuk said.

He said Ukraine continued to supply military hardware and ammunition to Georgia.

"The military contract with Georgia remains in force. We know of tanks, artillery systems and ammunition supplied to Georgia. The investigation commission will submit all available data to the parliament and demand a moratorium on arms supplies to Georgia," the official said.

"The document gathered by the investigation commission will be presented to law enforcement agencies and will help bring to justice all those who are responsible for illegal arms supplies used against peacekeepers and civilians," Konovalyuk said.

Over the last three years Ukraine has sold two billion U.S. dollars worth of arms, while only 840 million U.S. dollars reached the state budget, he said.

"The commission has received information from the state treasury, which clearly indicates that a great deal of the money Ukraine should have received from the sale of arms ended up outside the state budget and the Defence Ministry," he said.

However Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council denied that arms supplies to Georgia were illegal.

"Georgia was not and is not under sanctions or embargo of the U.N. Security Council, the OSCE, the European Union or other international organisations," the council said.

"Ukraine acts in accordance with its national interests, subordinating its policy both to the norms of certain ethics and international law," it said.

The council said Ukraine cooperated with Georgia "absolutely transparently" by providing all information about its arms exports to the U.N. Register and other international agencies.

"Ukraine has the most up-to-date and effective arms export control system. It was created with the methodological and technical assistance of the European Union and was adapted to its standards," the council said.