The remains of chemical weapons deployed by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II have been discovered in Jilin Province, China, 20 kilometers from the Russia border. The announcement was made on September 4 by Vladimir Tarabrin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
“They really pose a serious threat to the population,” Tarabrin stated in remarks to reporters. “God forbid some kind of leak; this could lead to severe soil contamination and harm to people. For us too, it’s not an abstract problem.”
According to Tarabrin, the identified reserves represent only the “tip of the iceberg,” as the exact volumes of chemical arsenals remaining in Chinese territory remain unknown. New burial sites continue to be uncovered, including projectiles containing pepper gas, chlorine, and sulfur-based agents.
The destruction process for these weapons has been underway since 2007 but may take another decade. Only a few hundred shells are recovered annually, while the total stockpile is estimated in the hundreds of thousands. Tarabrin noted that current work plans target completion by 2027, yet this timeline is unattainable due to insufficient funding and staff shortages on China’s side.
