MOSCOW. Aug 29 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia is due to eliminate over 7,000t of blister gases of the yperite and lewisite types, Professor Alexander Gorbovsky, head of the Russian Ammunition Agency's department for convection problems of chemical and bacteriological weapons, told Interfax-Military News Agency on Thursday.
"Russia stocks all of its blister gases at two sites: the Gorny settlement in the Saratov region and the town of Kambarka in Udmurtia," Gorbovsky said.
All of the yperite is in Gorny, he said. "We have very little of it, only 650t. Lewisite is both in Gorny and Kambarka. There are 250t of lewisite in Gorny, and 6,500t in Kambarka. That is why we have decided to boost the construction of a chemical disarmament center in Kambarka," he said.
Experts say the total stock of chemical warfare agents in Russia is 40,000 tonnes. The updated federal purpose-oriented program on chemical weapons scrapping in Russia elaborated by the Ammunition Agency was approved by the Russian government in July 2001.
Measures taken in 2001 helped increase budget financing for the chemical weapons scrapping at six times - from RUB500m (USD15.83m) in 2000 to RUB3bn (USD94.97m) in 2001. Up to RUB5.6bn (USD177.27m) are planned to be used for those purposes this year. In 2002 main efforts were concentrated on the completing the construction of an installation in the town of Gorny. The installation is to be launched in December, Gorbovsky stressed.
"A similar plant will be constructed in Kambarka basing on the experience of manufacturing and using the installation in Gorny. All yperite and lewisite are planned to be scrapped in Russia by 2007," Gorbovsky added.