Unusable Rocket Fuel to Be Transported from Kaliningrad Region via Lithuania, Beginning May

Unusable rocket fuel to be transported from Kaliningrad region via Lithuania, beginning the month of May. This is according to the statement made at a briefing by Admiral Vladimir Valuyev, Chief Commanding Officer of the Baltic Fleet.

Russia unsuccessfully negotiated this matter with Lithuania for a number of years, the latter shying away from the environmentally hazardous cargo. In the meantime, the fuel can be buried only at specially equipped grounds, unavailable in the Kaliningrad Region. Certain success was achieved in the negotiations after the last year's visit to Lithuania of Sergei Ivanov, Russia's Defence Minister. At this time, the talks are nearing their completion. Lithuania, having received guarantees of remedies in case of an environmentally hazardous accident, is about to issue the necessary permits.

According to Admiral Valuyev, there is 1,600 tonnes of unusable rocket fuel to be transported in special railway air and fluid-tight cisterns. Two special trains will cross Lithuania in May, one - in September.