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Middle East and North Africa

4.5 tons of chemical weapons to be destroyed at Kizner facility by 2014.

KIZNER, December 19 (Itar-Tass) - By the end of this year 4.5 tonnes of toxic substances are to be destroyed at the chemical weapons destruction facility in the village of Kizner, Udmurtia, the head of the Federal Department for the Safe Storage and Destruction of Chemical Weapons, Valery Kapashin, told the media on Thursday.

Kapashin said the destruction of the biggest ones, Sarin-filled 120-mm mortar shells, had already started today. Yet, only one line has been launched at the chemical weapons elimination facility. Nevertheless, the official said three more lines would be operating since April 2014. The procedure will be one-staged. The weapon will be transferred to the compartment, where the toxic substances will be extracted and rendered harmless.

Moreover, the department's director, Viktor Kholstov, in charge of conventional obligations at Russia’s Industry and Trade Ministry, stressed that the Russian know-how of chemical weapons elimination had been studied by experts, was tested in the village of Shchuchye in the Kurgan region and was absolutely safe. The Kizner facility will boast greater capacity and be more advanced then all the other active Russian facilities, he added.

For the time being, 24.5 billion rubles have been invested in the Kizner facility. Kapashin said the facility was to be totally completed by 2015. Kizner is the seventh and last in the range of Russian facilities created for the elimination of of 5.8 tonnes of toxic substances, GD-Sarin, GB-Soman, VX - Methylphosphonothioic Acid, and viscous L-Lewiste. All in all, more than 2 million chemical weapons are awaiting the elimination procedure.

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