MOSCOW. Nov 26 (Interfax) - Some of the Novichok-type nerve agents, which the Conference of the States Parties of the Convention for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons plans to put on the list of controlled substances, were developed in the former Soviet Union in the 1970s, but could have been produced in other countries since then, chemist Vladimir Uglev, a designer of Novichok-type nerve agents, told Interfax.
As reported earlier, Russia proposed that the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons expand its list with four types of substances, and the United States, Canada, and the Netherlands proposed two more types. Formulas of the substances were published on the OPCW website.
"The substance which corresponds to the first 'Russian' formula was created by the Volsk branch of the State Institute of Organic Chemistry and Technology in 1972. The Soviet Union viewed the A-230 group of substances as potential warfare-type agents," Uglev said.
He said that A-230 tests failed because this variety of the chemical warfare agent appeared to be insufficiently frost resistant.