Over 4 T of Chemical Weapons Destroyed in Russia’s Kirov Region

Over 4 t of chemicals have been destroyed so far at a chemical weapons disposal plant in the village of Maradykovo, Kirov Region, and another 20,000 pieces of ammunition are expected to arrive for disposal soon, Russian Zvezda TV reported on 10 September, adding that nearly 20 per cent of Russia’s chemical weapons are kept in Kirov Region.

In addition to destroying chemicals, the plant also cuts bomb shells and is planning to sell scrap metal at auctions, the report said.

The plant takes environmental safety very seriously, the correspondent said. Nikolay Chikishev, the plant’s chief engineer was shown saying that ecological monitoring is carried out on a regular basis. Nikolay Khlebnikov, deputy head of the Federal Directorate for Safe Storage and Destruction of Chemical Weapons, was showing denying local rumours that the plant is a source of environmental pollution.

Chemical weapons will have been destroyed in Russia by 2012, the correspondent said, adding that afterwards the military promise to clean up the plant and pass it to civilian production specialists.

Video showed air bombs to be destroyed, the plant’s environment monitoring laboratory, the plant’s grounds. /05:0700 – 05:0939/

Originally published by Zvezda TV, Moscow, in Russian 0507 10 Sep 08.

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