Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Defense has revealed that Russia is currently leasing three test sites in Kazakhstan. This disclosure comes after a complaint was lodged by residents of the West Kazakhstan region (WKO), who notified local authorities that a Russian landfill named Kapustin Yar, containing unprocessed waste, is operating in the region and making people ill.
The ministry confirmed that there is indeed a training ground in the WKO — the Number 4 State Central Intermilitary Training Ground — with the ground’s facilities and battlefields located partly on Russian territory. Russia conducts an average of 4-5 test launches each year. The location is not used by Kazakhstan’s armed forces.
In total there are three Russian military test sites in Kazakhstan: the 929 State Flight Test Center is located in the West Kazakhstan and Atyrau regions, and the Sary-Shagan test site occupies parts of the Karaganda, Ulytau, Zhambyl, Kyzylorda and Aktobe regions.
“The coordinates of the [military] polygons’ borders are regulated by agreements between Kazakhstan and Russia, which are available in the open information system of normative and legal acts,” the Kazakh defense ministry said.
The lease agreement between Kazakhstan and Russia states that Russia may conduct tests within the boundaries allocated to the test site, to ensure the safety of operations and missile launches, search, evacuation and disposal of the remains of space objects and targets, timely cleaning of battlefields and eliminating the aftereffects of accidents, as well as to compensate for any damage caused to Kazakh land. It’s also stipulated that representatives of Kazakhstan’s state sanitary and environmental supervision may have unimpeded access to the test sites. In addition, the Russian side must improve the environment on the territory of the test site by developing and implementing long-term and annual programs to protect the environment, as well as reclaim the land where targets sat and missiles struck. The Kazakh ministry notes that Russia is unconditionally fulfilling its obligations, and there is no confirmation of cancer cases amid the test launches.
“So far, there has been no information confirming the infliction of moral and physical damage on local residents as a result of the test sites’ activities. The Russian side is obliged to comply with environmental regulations, operating rules and norms of water and land use of Kazakhstan. Environmental damage caused by the activities of the test site shall be eliminated by the Russian Federation. In this case, the amount of damage and forms of its compensation are determined by a specially created interstate commission,” summarized the ministry.
According to the agreement, the lease term for all three Russian ranges runs until July 27, 2030, and the cost is $2.33 for each hectare of land. The total amount of the lease of the battlefields is $20 million, and the settlement of payments is conducted between the two countries’ national banks.
