The soldiers charged with safeguarding the centre complained that they had not been paid for months. There have been no reported thefts of chemical weapons, but conventional weapons and nuclear materials have repeatedly been stolen from other Russian bases with the aid of poorly paid staff. A lethal legacy Russia's Kremlin leaders inherited 40,000 tonnes of chemical weapons from Soviet days, stored at the seven sites in the western half of Russia where the arms were produced. Some 7,520 tonnes of blister agents are held in massive 80-tonne containers at two locations, and 32,480 tonnes of nerve agents artillery shells, aviation bombs and spray tanks are stored at five other sites. Plans to build seven destruction plants, one at each stockpile, have been revised in favour of a cheaper proposal to construct three centres.
Chemicals are to be sucked from the weapons, neutralised and mixed with asphalt for storage.
Under the chemical weapons convention, Russia was to destroy its arsenal by 2007, but this deadline has been extended to 2012. Russia's Kremlin leaders inherited 40,000 tonnes of chemical weapons from Soviet days, stored at the seven sites in the western half of Russia where the arms were produced. Some 7,520 tonnes of blister agents are held in massive 80-tonne containers at two locations, and 32,480 tonnes of nerve agents artillery shells, aviation bombs and spray tanks are stored at five other sites. Plans to build seven destruction plants, one at each stockpile, have been revised in favour of a cheaper proposal to construct three centres. Chemicals are to be sucked from the weapons, neutralised and mixed with asphalt for storage.