Вил Мирзаянов - State Secrets - An Insider's Chronicle of the Russian Chemical Weapons Program

Head of the Department

Major General

S.D. Balashov

Secret

Copy 1

ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE

OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

The Ministry of Security

of the Russian Federation

Investigation Department

To Colonel A.A. Shabunin

Head of the Department

November 6, 1992 N 13/2-1040-92

Moscow

I am sending you a Xerox copy of the article “We Waged Chemical War on Our Own Territory” published in “Nezavisimaya Gazetta” on October 30, 1992, to check and evaluate it in the course of the preliminary investigation of the criminal case against Vil S. Mirzayanov.

Enclosure: on one page.

Senior Prosecutor of the Department for Supervising

The Implementation of Laws on Federal Security

and International Relations,

Junior Counselor of Justice

V.A. Buivolov

Secret

ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE

OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Ministry of Security

Of the Russian Federation

Investigation Department

To Captain of Justice V.A. Shkarin

Senior Investigator

103793 GSP, Moscow, K-9

Pushkinskaya, 15-a

According to the instructions of the leadership of the RF Attorney General’s Office, we are sending xeroxed copies of the article “Poison” published on January 29, 1993 in the newspaper “Trud” with an interview of V. S. Mirzayanov to be added to the materials of the criminal case against V. S. Mirzayanov and to carry out its further legal evaluation.

Senior Prosecutor of the Department for Supervising

Implementation of the Laws on Federal Security

and International Relations,

Junior Counselor of Justice

V.A. Buivolov

Secret

THE RF MINISTRY OF SECURITY

Investigation Department

To V.A. Petrunin

Director of the State Russian Science

Research Institute for Organic

Chemistry and Technology

November 12, 1992 N 6/2835

The Investigation Department of the Ministry of Security of the Russian Federation is investigating the following criminal case, in which Vil Sultanovich Mirzayanov, a former employee of GRNIIOKhT, is charged with a crime under Article 75, Part 1, of the RSFSR Criminal Code, of disclosing the information that our country conducts scientific research work in the area of chemical weapons, in his article “Poisoned Policies” (Issue N 38 of the weekly “Moscow News” of September 20, 1992).

In connection with this, please check and inform us whether the information revealed by Mirzayanov in his article, about GRNIIOKhT being involved in the above-mentioned research, is authentic.

If the answer is affirmative, according to what normative acts was it carried out and from what sources did Mirzayanov learn this information (reading documents, taking part in meetings, etc.)?

We also ask you to send us V. S. Mirzayanov’s personal file and character references.

Head of the section at the Department

A.A. Shabunin

Verified. Senior Investigator of the

Investigation Department at the MB RF,

Captain of Justice

Victor A. Shkarin

Top Secret

Copy 1

STATE RUSSIAN SCIENCE RESEARCH

INSTITUTE OF ORGANIC

CHEMISTRY AND TECHNOLOGY

To A.A. Shabunin,

Head of the section of the

Investigation Department at the

RF Ministry of Security

Moscow

November 24, 1992

N 1846 ss

In response to your inquiry N 6/2835 of November 12, 1992 we inform you that the information that Vil S. Mirzayanov, a former employee of the institute, included in his article “Poisoned Policies” about the scientific research work conducted at GRNIIOKhT aimed at the development of chemical weapons, is authentic.

Work on the creation of a new chemical agent was referred to in the above-mentioned article as follows: “The State Science Research Institute for Organic Chemistry and Technology (GRNIIOKhT) developed a new chemical agent. It significantly surpassed the well known VX by its toxicity (“battle characteristics”) from which it is practically impossible to be cured…”, and was developed at GRNIIOKhT in pursuance to Resolution N 3509-123 dated April 24, 1977 by the Central Committee of the C.P.S.U. and the Council of Ministers.

Also, the information that Mirzayanov reveals in the same article about the development of binary weapons at GRNIIOKhT: “…binary weapons were developed based on a new chemical agent” is true. Work on the creation of a binary weapon was carried out at GRNIIOKhT, in pursuance to Resolutions N 1584-434 of December 31, 1986 and N 844—186 of October 6, 1989 by the Central Committee of the C.P.S.U. and the Council of Ministers.

Mirzayanov knew this information through reading classified documents, participation in closed meetings, etc., in keeping with his functional duties first as Senior Research Scientist at Laboratory 29 and since 1986 as the head of the branch Department Foreign Technical Counterintelligence.

We are sending you Mirzayanov’s personal files which include his character references.

Attachment: the personal file of V. S. Mirzayanov

N 10650 on 131 pages, non-confidential, to the addressee only

Deputy Director

A.V. Martynov

Top Secret

Copy N 1

THE MINISTRY OF SECURITY

OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Investigation Department

To Lieutenant General V.N. Zemlyanitsyn,

Head of the 8 thDepartment at the

General Staff Headquarters of the Armed Forces

of the Russian Federation

The Investigation Department of the Ministry of Security of the Russian Federation is investigating criminal case # 62, regarding Vil Sultanovich Mirzayanov for disclosing information to the mass media about scientific research in the area of chemical weapons.

An expert commission was appointed to determine the authenticity and degree of secrecy of the information divulged by Mirzayanov. The 8 thDepartment at the General Staff Headquarters of the RF Armed Forces is entrusted with conducting the expertise.

We are sending the resolution dated November 10, 1992 and ask you to take charge of the expert investigation.

Appendix: -resolution dated November 10, 1992 on 6 pages, not classified

-package with the objects of research, top secret

Head of the Department,

Major General of Justice

S.D. Balashov

Top Secret

THE RF MINISTRY OF DEFENSE

GENERAL STAFF HEADQUARTERS

OF THE ARMED FORCES

8 thDepartment

To Major General S.D. Balashov,

Head of the Investigation Department,

of the Ministry of Security

of the Russian Federation

Moscow

December 8, 1992

N 317/5/836

Moscow K-160

In Response to the letter N 6/003088 from December 1, 1992

After the 8 thDepartment at the General Staff Headquarters of the RF Intelligence Service was re-organized, there were no specialists left who had access to [classified] works and documents on the indicated topic and who could, according to their area of specialty, evaluate the authenticity of the information presented in the materials produced, and for this reason the department can’t act as an expert enterprise for conducting the expertise on this criminal case.

ACTING HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT

Colonel

G.I. Funygin

Secret

Copy N 2

THE MINISTRY OF SECURITY

OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Investigation Department

To E.M. Primakov,

Director of the Russian Foreign

Intelligence Service

of the Russian Federation