Twelve of the missiles went to Iran and six to China, Prosecutor General Svyatoslav Piskun's office said yesterday. The Kh55 cruise missiles have a range of 1,860 miles.
The office stressed the weapons were sold illegally, not exported by state enterprises, and that it was Kuchma's government that launched the probe. Nevertheless, the investigation could further tarnish the former leader's reputation and spark new calls for prosecution.
''The proceedings against persons implicated have been forwarded to the Kiev Court of Appeals and are being heard behind closed doors," the statement said.
In Washington, State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli welcomed the Ukrainian investigation, saying US and Ukrainian authorities had discussed the case, but he did not know whether there were deliveries to China and Iran.
''I think it is fair to say that both the US government and the Ukrainian government share a common concern and a dedication to acting to prevent or to find out and prevent cases of proliferation. That's certainly true in this instance," Ereli said.
Vyacheslav Astapov, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office, named one of the accused, Volodymyr Yevdokimov, whom he identified as the director of a cargo company, Ukraviazakaz.
He refused to provide other details, and it was unclear whether other suspects were involved in the proceedings at the court, which handles all sensitive cases.
At least three people were arrested and another three were indicted last year in connection with the illicit arms trade, an intelligence official said on condition of anonymity in February.
In the Feb. 4 story, the AP reported that six missiles smuggled out of Ukraine purportedly ended up in Iran and six in China, although export documents known as end-user certificates recorded the final recipient of some 20 Kh55 missiles as Russia's Defense Ministry, according to a letter from legislator Hrihoriy Omelchenko to President Viktor Yushchenko.
There was no suggestion of Russian government involvement in the alleged smuggling operation.
