Global Security Newswire

Russia's sixth chemical agent destruction plant is to be brought online at the end of the month in the Bryansk region, where the nation's biggest chemical weapons stockpile is housed at Pochep, Interfax reported yesterday (see GSN, Nov. 8).

"The Pochep facility is meant to play an important role in Russia's completion of the fourth stage of its international obligations under the [Chemical Weapons Convention]," read a statement from the Federal Directorate for Safe Storage and Destruction of Chemical Weapons.

"The facility construction is a bright example of international cooperation," the statement said.

Switzerland and Germany supplied financial aid and technical assistance for the plant's construction.

The Pochep arsenal houses aerial chemical shells and roughly 7,500 metric tons of organophosphates, nearly 20 percent of Russia's total chemical arms stockpile.

The total elimination of the nation's chemical arms is not anticipated until 2015 -- three years past the deadline set by the Chemical Weapons Convention (Interfax, Nov. 15).