Russia’s chemical weapon stockpile

Moscow
RUSSIA
Shikhany: Production and testing ground for Novichok 
Moscow, GOSNIIOKhT: Soviet-era State Scientific Institute of Organic Chemistry and Technology develops Novichok family of nerve agents
1,000km

1986-1991: Dr. Vil Mirzayanov (above) works on Soviet military project Foliant at GOSNIIOKhT

1990: Presidents George H.W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev sign U.S.–Soviet Chemical Weapons Accord to halt CW production

1991: Mirzayanov reveals that Russia is secretly producing new generation of binary nerve agents known as Novichok. These use commercially available organophosphate fertilisers and insecticides

Jan 1993: Russia and U.S. sign Chemical Weapons Convention

1 Aug 2002, Gorny: Chemical weapons destruction facility (CWDF) begins destruction of 1,160 tonnes of lewisite blistering agent and mustard gas

2 Feb 2006, Shchuch’ye: CWDF opens to destroy 5,460 tonnes of nerve agent, including two million VX- and phosgene-filled artillery shells

3 Mar, Kambarka: Russia commences destruction of 6,360 tonnes of lewisite

4 Sep, Maradykovsky: CWDF starts operations to destroy 6,900 tonnes of nerve agents

5 Jun 2008, Leonidovka: Facility starts destruction of 6,885 tonnes of sarin, soman and VX nerve agents

6 Sep 2010, Pochep: CWDF begins destruction of 7,498 tonnes of nerve agents in air-delivered munitions

7 Dec 2013, Kizner: Operation begins to destroy more than 5,730 tonnes of nerve agent

Sep 2017, Kizner: President Vladimir Putin announces destruction of last batch of its 40,000-tonne chemical weapons stockpile

Sources: Arms Control Association, FAS, OPCW
Pictures: Associated Press, Google
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