Defense News - Your source for everything Defense

Russia Destroys a Quarter of Its Chemical Weapons

agence france-presse
Published: 3 Jun 10:24 EDT (14:24 GMT)

  Print  |    Email

MOSCOW - Russia has destroyed more than a quarter of its chemical weapons stocks, in line with international treaties, a top disarmament official was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying June 3.

"We have destroyed 10,500 tons of toxic substances. There is no doubt that with regular financing we can fulfil all our engagements," said Valery Kapashin, head of the state agency charged with destroying chemical weapons.

Russia previously had reported having 40,000 tons of chemical weapons.

Russia and the U.S. have enormous stocks of chemical weapons from the Cold War era that they have undertaken to destroy entirely by 2012 under the 1997 Convention on Chemical Weapons.

Russia is expected to destroy another 18,000 tons by December 2009.