Global Security Newswire

The Russian government plans to issue an order formally delaying the completion of chemical weapons disarmament operations to 2015, Reuters reported yesterday (see GSN, June 30).

The Kirov region government issued a statement yesterday addressing the upcoming Kremlin decree and asserting that all Chemical Weapons Convention member nations had been alerted to the new schedule.

Moscow in June first acknowledged that it could not meet the convention's April 2012 deadline for elimination of its chemical warfare materials.

The ongoing global economic turmoil led to reduced funding for chemical weapons disposal in Russia and other nations, Viktor Kholstov, treaty implementation chief at the Russian Industry and Trade Ministry, said during a session of the nation's chemical demilitarization commission.

"In connection with this, a government order on the postponement of the date for the completion of the program from 2012 to 2015 is being prepared," according to the Kirov region statement. "All members of the convention ... have been informed of this change."

By July 12, Russia had eliminated slightly more than 19,150 metric tons of chemical warfare materials, nearly 48 percent of its original, world's-largest declared stockpile of 40,000 metric tons of banned agents (Steve Gutterman, Reuters, Aug. 2).

Russia presently has three operating chemical weapons disposal plants, including the Maradykovsky site in the Kirov region. The government hopes to eliminate about 1,820 metric tons of chemical agents this year, Interfax reported.

The United States holds the second-largest chemical arsenal. It expects to finish off the stockpile in 2021, nine years after the CWC deadline (see GSN, July 7; Interfax, Aug. 2).