Fulfillment of state defense order for cleaning up after scrapping of chemical arms ahead of schedule - directorate
IZHEVSK. Nov 26 (Interfax-AVN) - Specialists cleaning up following the scrapping of Russia's chemical weapons are fulfilling this year's state defense order ahead of schedule, the Federal Directorate for Safe Storage and Destruction of Chemical Weapons said.
"The teams of the federal directorate are, as always, fulfilling the state defense order," it said.
"It will have been fulfilled by almost 180% at the Pochep facility in the Bryansk region by the end of December, and by over 140% at the Shchuchye [Kurgan region] and Maradykovsky [Kirov region] facilities," the directorate said.
All military units have high combat readiness, as confirmed by exercises and surprise checks, it said.
Russia's last chemical weapons arsenals were destroyed on September 27, 2017. Col. Gen. Valery Kapashin, the head of the federal directorate, told Interfax in August 2018 that all of the seven chemical weapons destruction facilities that had completed their work were expected to be transferred to their new owners within 5-6 years. He said the Pochep facility would be transferred to the Moscow Endocrine Plant in 2019.