Destruction of chemical weapons stockpiles in the Russian Federation: a review

Abstract

Chemical weapons, designed for mass harm, are posing risks of contamination, accidents, and ecological damage, and thus require their destruction. However, destruction of chemical weapons is challenging, notably in the Russian Federation due to the large scale and complexity of chemical weapons stockpiles, the diverse toxic agents stored under varying conditions, logistical and political obstacles, financial constraints, and the disposal process. Here we review the Russian Federation’s chemical weapons disposal program with an emphasis on the political context, declared chemical weapons stockpiles, methods for destruction, health and environmental issues, and nerve agents. We analyze stockpiles totaling nearly 40,000 tonnes of chemical agents across seven facilities, focusing on their composition, storage conditions, and destruction technologies. Methods such as neutralization, bituminization, and thermal destruction are compared. Environmental risks include arsenic migration and groundwater contamination near disposal sites. We observe the limitations of using bitumen salt masses as a safe disposal method.