Russia reports destruction of all remaining chemical weapons

MOSCOW – Russia has completed the massive task of destroying its Cold War-era chemical weapons stockpiles, winning praise from an international chemical weapons watchdog.

Russian officials reported the destruction of the country’s last remaining artillery projectiles filled with a toxic agent to President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. The work took place at the Kizner facility in the Urals, one of seven facilities built in Russia to destroy chemical weapons

Ahmet Uzumcu, director-general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, commended Russia for achieving a “major milestone” with the destruction of its chemical arsenals.

The OPCW oversees global efforts to eliminate chemical weapons under the Chemical Weapons Convention that took effect in 1997. It says over 96 percent of the stockpiles declared by the conventions 192 participants have been destroyed.