The Start of the State Program of CW Destruction in Russia

The last chemical munition from Russian arsenals of chemical weapons has been destroyed September 22, 2017, at the Kizner facility in Udmurtia. Chemical weapons (CW) destruction started at the times of the demise of the USSR and the change of political formation in the country, followed by the collapse of its economy. Russian Federation Government Decree № 305, «On the Approval of the Special Federal Targeted Program for the Destruction of Chemical Weapons Stockpiles in the Russian Federation» (21 March 1996), became an important milestone in Russia`s fulfilling its international commitments, including its chemical weapons disarmament obligations. Due to certain Soviet scientific and technological advances and thanks to the extraordinary efforts and talent of the experts from the Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence Troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, from the Federal Agency for the Safe Storage and Destruction of Chemical Weapons and from several other scientific research organizations, the CW destruction program has been completed three years ahead of schedule. Two-stage process of chemical neutralization, technically adapted to different types and ways of CW stockpiling, have been used for CW destruction. Seven special facilities have been built in Gorny (Saratov region), Kambarka and Kizner (Udmurt Republic), Maradykovsky (Kirov region), Shchuch'ye (Kurgan region), Leonidovka (Penza region) and Pochep (Bryansk region) for this purpose. 40,000 metric tons of CW have been destroyed at these facilities. The implementation of the Federal Targeted Program three years ahead of schedule saved considerable financial resources for the country and saved the population of the regions where CW stockpiling and destruction facilities have been located, from serious danger in case of any incident or accident.

1. Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction. Paris. January 13, 1993. URL: http://www.un.org/ru/documents/decl_conv/conventions/chemweapons.shtml (in Russian).

2. Changes into the Presidential Decree № 330 (February 17, 1994) «On the participation of military units and establishments of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in the operations and arrangements, connected with Russia`s fulfilling its international commitments, including its chemical weapons disarmament obligations». Presidential Decree № 954, 13.08.1998 (in Russian).

3. Government Decree № 1470 (December 30, 1994) on the establishment of the CW destruction facility in Saratov region. URL: http://docs.cntd.ru/document/783300036 (in Russian).

4. Presidential Decree № 314 (March 24, 1995) on the preparation of the Russian Federation to fulfilling its international commitments, including its chemical weapons disarmament obligations. GARANT System. URL: http://base.garant.ru/1518226/#ixzz54qQndZYV (in Russian).

5. Government Decree № 305 (March 21, 1996) «On the Approval of the Special Federal Targeted Program for the Destruction of Chemical Weapons Stockpiles in the Russian Federation». GARANT System. URL: http://base.garant.ru/10108237/#ixzz54qR7FfCR (in Russian).

6. CW Destruction. Federal Law № 76-ФЗ. May 2, 1997. GARANT System. URL: http://base.garant.ru/2150201/#ixzz54qRyLeAb (in Russian).

7. Federal Law № 138-ФЗ (November 5, 1997) on the ratification of Chemical Weapons Convention. GARANT System. URL: http://base.garant.ru/12104240/#ixzz54qSTPScu (in Russian).

8. Government Decree № 208 (February 24, 1999) on the establishment of protective zones around the stockpiling and destruction facilities. Changed June 6, 2013. GARANT System. URL: http://base.garant.ru/12114650/#ixzz54qSqXmiW (in Russian).