Modern history knows that any military conflict may be used for testing of new types of arms. But if we tell about maneuvers on the training grounds it’s one thing and quite another story is testing in a real combat area. So, Russia is not exception in this sense. During almost two-year military campaign against Ukraine the facts of use of the newest types of small- arms and infantry weapon (portable flame throwers, modern precision rifles) by pro-Russian rebels have surfaced. It should be added also combat cars, backfitted air-defence missile systems and rocket systems. All these types of weapon are adopted by the Russian army. It proves numerous photo- and video – publications and postings.Besides that Russian governmental authorities have an intention to use east Ukraine as tasting ground for the newest development in the field of the chemical weapon. The matter is so-called “non-lethal toxiccompounds” for subversive and terrorist activities. Though, “non-lethality” of such substances opens to question. Since the corresponding tests were not carried out, so, nature of influence of these substances on a human and further effects of such influence are not explored.It’s authentically known that near Russian city of Saratov (about 700 km in the southwest from Moscow) the Scientific Research Institute of Chemical Troops that reports directly to the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation has renewed its work. Though, it’s officially declared that this institution is created only for recycling of chemical weapons. Just at that moment near the Ukrainian border in the city of Pochepna in the Bryansk region one military base begins the building of Center on restoring of chemical weapon models.
According to experts’ estimations now in those scientific centers some tests of fighting poisoning gases of G Group (GV – sarin, GD – soman) and VX Group (extremely toxic substances) are being carried out. Also, the development of substance with code-named “beginners” that were synthesized in 80th in the Soviet Union is carried out and chemical properties of this substance are still authentically unknown.
The demonstrative fact is that the new development and opening of tasting ranges occur against suspending of all programs on chemical weapon recycling by Russian Ministry of Defence. But these programs must be finished till the end of 2015 according to Convention on Prohibition of Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons signed by Russia. The term is prolonged till 2020.
Thus, it becomes clear that in the conditions of changed international situation Russia is not ready to refuse the chemical weapon development. Moreover, participation in military conflict in Ukraine provides Russia with ample opportunity to carry out tests of the newest chemical weapon in fighting conditions.
But, the basic danger of carrying out of chemical weapon testing consists in that consequences will be the extremely serious and unpredictable for environment and human. It’s necessary to consider also that the matter is densely populated territories practically in the centre of Europe where also there are chemical plants and dangerous works. Therefore such secret chemical weapon testing in eastern Ukraine can cause one of the greatest anthropogenic, humanitarian and ecological accidents from which will suffer not only Ukraine, but Russia and Europe. According to Chemical Weapons Convention any cases of chemical weapon use in conflict in Ukraine demands the most steadfast attention and careful investigation at the highest international level.
