Russia Destroys Nearly 99% of Chemical Weapon Stockpile Under CWC - Official

The head of the Russian Ministry of Industry's Department of Conventional Obligations Realization and Trade said that Russia has destroyed nearly 99 percent of its chemical weapon stockpile over the past 20 years.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russia has destroyed nearly 99 percent of its chemical weapon stockpile over the past 20 years, the head of the Russian Ministry of Industry's Department of Conventional Obligations Realization and Trade said on Tuesday.

"As of May 29, there are 588 tonnes of poisonous substances left at a facility in the Udmurtian Republic, which is 1.4 percent of the previous stockpiles," the official told the Russian Federation Council's Defense Committee, adding that 20 years ago the chemical weapons arsenal amounted to 40,000 tonnes.

According to Victor Ozerov, the chairman of the Federation Council's Committee on Defense and Security, Russia complies in full with its international obligations in this sphere.

In 1997, Russia joined the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), in accordance with which the destruction of its chemical weapons stockpiles should be completed by December 31, 2018.

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