In order to promote the implementation of the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe of November 19,1990, (the Treaty) I have been instructed by the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to state the following.

1. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics will, during 1991­1995, destroy or convert into civilian equipment no less than 6,000 battle tanks, 1,500 armored combat vehicles and 7,000 pieces of artillery from among the conventional armaments and equipment in the Treaty limited categories beyond the Urals, in addition to the numbers of armaments subject to destruction and conversion specified in the Statement of the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of June 14,1991 concerning obligations outside the frame work of the Treaty.

   These armaments will be destroyed or converted under procedures that will provide sufficient visible evidence, which confirms that they have been destroyed or rendered militarily unusable. Advance notification and information will be provided to the States Parties to the Treaty regarding the locations and numbers of battle tanks, armored combat vehicles and pieces of artillery undergoing destruction or conversion.

   Elimination of armaments in the Treaty­limited categories will also be carried out subsequently as their operational and service life is expended.

2. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, in the period between January 1989 and signature of the Treaty on November 19,1990, in connection with activities related to unilateral reductions of the Soviet armed forces, the withdrawal of Soviet troops from the countries of Eastern Europe and adaptation of the armed forces to the new defensive doctrine, withdrew beyond the Urals the following numbers of conventional armaments and equipment in the Treaty­limited categories: 16,400 battle tanks, 15,900 armored combat vehicles and 25,000 pieces of artillery.

   Of these number of armaments and equipment, 8,000 battle tanks, 11,200 armored combat vehicles and 1,600 pieces of artillery have been turned over to military units and subunits in the eastern Soviet Union for the purpose of re­equipping them and supplementing their armaments.

   Another part of the conventional armaments and equipment in the Treaty­limited categories, which have been transferred beyond the Urals (8,400 battle tanks, 4,700 armored combat vehicles and 16,400 pieces of artillery), has been placed in storage. In addition, 7,000 pieces of artillery are being used for replacement and repair.

   These stored conventional armaments and equipment withdrawn beyond the Urals will be used up in the process of replacing obsolete armaments and equipment that have expended their established operational and service life and, in the eastern Soviet Union, also in supplementing units.

   With respect to the armaments and equipment transferred beyond the Urals before signature of the Treaty that have been placed in storage or are used for replacement and repair beyond the Urals, upon entry into force of the Treaty information will be provided to all States Parties about the locations and number of battle tanks, armored combat vehicles and pieces of artillery at such locations as of July 1, 1991. Armaments in each of these categories (battle tanks, armored combat vehicles and pieces of artillery) will be stored separately.

   3. The conventional armaments and equipment in the Treaty­limited categories withdrawn beyond the Urals prior to signature of the Treaty will not be used to create a strategic reserve or operational and will not be stored in a way permitting their rapid return to the area of application of the Treaty, that is, such armaments and equipment withdrawn beyond the Urals will not be stored in sets for military formations.

   Military formations and units deployed within the area of application of the Treaty will be organized in line with the Soviet defensive doctrine and taking into account the sufficiency levels of armaments established by the Treaty for a single State.

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