Chemical weapons being
transported from Syria will be moved with the help of 25 armored trucks and 50
other vehicles sent by Russia, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Monday.
The toxins are to be
destroyed under an international agreement to rid the nation of its chemical
arsenal.
In a report to
President Vladimir Putin, Shoigu said Russian aircraft delivered 50 Kamaz
trucks and 25 Ural armored trucks to the Syrian port city of Latakia late last
week along with other equipment, state-run news agency RIA reported.
“The Defense Ministry
has very swiftly implemented actions to deliver to Syria equipment and materiel
to provide for the removal of Syrian chemical weapons and their destruction,”
Shoigu was quoted as saying.
Syria has agreed to
abandon it chemical weapons under a deal proposed by Russia to avert potential
U.S. military action after a deadly Aug. 21 sarin gas attack the United States
blamed on President Bashar al-Assad’s government.
Russia’s move follows
an announcement from Britain earlier this week that it will will provide a navy
ship to secure the removal of chemical weapons from Syria.
Some of the chemicals
included in the Syrian stockpile are not in themselves dangerous, and 150 tons
of these will be transported to Britain to be incinerated at a commercial
facility.
The military vessel
will “assist in the safety and security of Danish and Norwegian cargo ships in
international waters when removing the entire chemical stockpile from Syria by
sea,” a spokesman said.
Britain has also agreed
to provide specialist equipment to the United States in the hydrolysis of the
most sensitive chemicals before their final destruction aboard a U.S. ship in
international waters.
Comments About This Article
Please fill the fields below.