UKRAINE PEACEKEEPERS WERE ILLEGALLY DEPLOYED IN MOLDOVA, KOSOVO, IRAQ, KUWAIT

KIEV, June 19 (RIA Novosti) - In 2001-2003 Ukraine peacekeepers were illegally deployed in Moldova, Kosovo, Iraq and Kuwait. The Ukrainian Audit Chamber came to this conclusion after the auditing of the use of state budget means allocated to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry in 2001-2003 to provide participation in international peacekeeping operations, ICTV channel reports.

According to the Audit Chamber, the deployment of Ukrainian peacekeepers in Transdniestria (Moldova) is regulated by the government's statement of October 1998, which contradicts the law on Ukraine's participation in international peacekeeping operations. Article 2 of the relevant law reads that it should be approved by the Supreme Rada.

The deployment of Ukrainian peacekeepers in Kuwait, Iraq and Kosovo contradicts Article 9 of the above-mentioned law, as in this case the Supreme Rada did not fix the source of financing.

Therefore, according to the Audit Chamber, over $15,000,000 were spent to pay servicemen's wages involved in peacekeeping operations ($500,000 in Moldova, $1.3 million in Kuwait, $6.5 million in Iraq and $7.5 million in Kosovo) because of violations of the active legislation.