Restart of ammunition disposal at "Ashuluk" raises concerns with MfE and ecologists

The houses of residents of the Astrakhan Region, located near the "Ashuluk" military testing ground are not seismically resistant, said the spokesman of the Chief Department for the Astrakhan region of the Russian Ministry for Emergencies (MfE).

In early February, the Government of the Astrakhan Region and the Russian Ministry of Defence agreed to suspend for at least a month the disposal by blasting of the old ammunition at "Ashuluk", because of residents' complaints about seismic shocks. With the resumption of the disposal process, seismic shocks are again registered in the region.

On March 11, the above MfE Department received over 200 complaints on the fact of seismic phenomena from the population of Astrakhan and the Khaarabalin and Narimanov District.

The problem of monitoring the seismic activity at "Ashuluk" is dealt with by the military prosecutor's office, said the MfE. The office confirmed this fact, but refrained from any detailed comments.

In his turn, the ecologist Yaroslav Nikitenko, an activist of the Movement "Ecological Defence of the Moscow Region", is sure that disposal of ammunition "can destroy houses" and seriously affect human health and nature.