Allegedly a Russian national resident in Cyprus; according to a January 2005 letter by Hrihoriy Omelchenko, then a Ukrainian member of parliament (and reported former officer of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU)), an inquiry by the SBU identified Shkinov in connection with a scheme to export 20 nuclear-capable cruise missiles, type X-55 and X-55SM (KH-55/AS-15 Kent and KH-55SM/AS-15B, respectively) from Ukraine; Ukraine’s prosecutor-general reportedly admitted that 12 such missiles were exported to Iran and 6 to China in 2001; Iran allegedly also received a KNO-120 ground support system;
According to Omelchenko, Shkinov was the founder and director of the Cyprus company Volgen Trading Ltd.; according to Omelchenko, V.V. Yevdokimov of Ukraine, who allegedly arranged the missile export to Iran, also arranged (through Volgen Trading) for Ukrainian specialists to visit Iran in 2001-2003 to service the missiles; according to Omelchenko, the Cypriot authorities investigated Shkinev’s activities pursuant to a request by the SBU; smuggling charges were reportedly brought against Shkinev in Ukraine.
Source: / Iranwatch /