Global Security Newswire

Russia intends to finish building its complement of seven planned chemical weapons disposal plants next year, RIA Novosti reported yesterday (see GSN, Dec. 10, 2009).

Only two of the facilities have yet to open. Moscow this year will continue to emphasize construction and the continuing effort to eliminate 40,000 metric tons of chemical warfare materials, said Gen. Nikolai Abroskin, chief of the Federal Agency for Special Construction.

Roughly 22,000 metric tons remained to be destroyed as of late 2009. Moscow has said it is committed to meeting the April 2012 demilitarization deadline set by the international Chemical Weapons Convention.

Disassembly of the equipment and other cleanup work at the disposal plants would be completed in 2016 or 2017, Abroskin said (RIA Novosti, March 3).