Russia has finished destroying ammunition loaded with VX nerve agent at its Maradykovsky facility, Interfax reported Friday (see GSN, Nov. 14).
"A total of 23,473 ammunition items, which contain 4,546.741 [metric tons] of VX-type gases, have been disposed of," a Kirov Region spokesman said Friday, adding that work has begun on the disposal site's second branch.
"The second sector -- a unit that will dispose of sarin and soman [nerve agents] -- is being repaired. We plan to begin installing equipment and to start experimental operations. We plan to launch disposal efforts in the first quarter of 2009," he said.
The Maradykovsky facility is slated to complete its chemical-weapon destruction work in 2012 (Interfax, Nov. 14).