Kapustin Yar: Russian Missile Testing Leaves a Trail of Destruction in Kazakhstan

The Kapustin Yar missile range, nestled in Russia’s Astrakhan region, serves as a clandestine hub for military experimentation, writes Novaya Gazeta. However, its operations have far-reaching consequences, particularly for the people of Kazakhstan.

During the Soviet era, there were seven weapon testing sites, including nuclear ones, on the territory of Soviet Kazakhstan.

After the Union’s collapse, three remained, covering a total area of 8.7 million hectares. 

Kapustin Yar is one of them. Since 1947, the USSR conducted missile trials there, initially with captured V-2 rockets and later with domestic ones. Nuclear tests began in the late 1950s.

Even after Kazakhstan gained independence, Russian missile tests on its territory persisted. Now, the republic leases land for these ranges. 

In Bokeyorda, in the steppe, where a specially protected nature reserve is located, the range occupies half of the district’s total area – 943 thousand hectares. Russia pays a mere $2.3 per hectare annually for leasing all ranges.

According to the lease agreement, Russia is obliged to remediate the lands of the range. The entire steppe is pockmarked with craters as deep as a person’s height. 

However, the locals cannot recall a single instance where Russian militaries filled in the craters left by their missile. 

According to the “National Encyclopaedia of Kazakhstan,” published in 2005, the Kapustin Yar range has witnessed the detonation of over 24,000 missiles and the testing of 177 types of military equipment over its 56-year existence.

These tests have also seen the destruction of 619 SS-20 missiles. 

Shockingly, radiation checks conducted nearly 20 years ago revealed significantly elevated levels of cesium-137, strontium-89, and other radioactive substances in the soil, surpassing permissible limits by several folds.

The harmful radioactive contaminants have tainted the soil, water sources, arable lands, and grazing pastures, with devastating health implications. 

Local residents, particularly children, suffer from a 2.3-fold increase in mental health disorders compared to regional averages and a 2.1-fold increase compared to national averages. 

The prevalence of malignant tumours, respiratory diseases, immune system disorders, and blood disorders is notably high among them.

Officially, the Bokeyorda district is home to 19,000 people. However, the true population remains uncertain as many have left, while others, working at “points,” reside in the steppe without formal registration. 

According to documents obtained by the locals, 114 disabled individuals reside in their district. Additionally, an average of three children with disabilities are born each year.

Alarmingly, over the past three years, 390 individuals, including 44 cancer-related cases, have succumbed to various ailments.

Despite the evident health crisis, both Kazakhstani and Russian authorities deny any correlation between the missile range and the prevalence of disabilities among children.

Efforts to conduct thorough investigations have been thwarted, likely due to the fear of potential repercussions and financial liabilities. 

With Kazakhstan leasing its lands to Russia for a meagre sum of $2.30 per hectare annually, local Kazakhs bear the brunt of the consequences, often footing the bill for medical expenses and transportation to access healthcare services.

While Russian military tests continue unabated, the impact on local communities is profound. The deafening explosions from missile tests are a frequent occurrence, signalling yet another assault on their peace and safety. 

Periodically, the military dumps fuel into the steppe, permeating the air with toxic fumes detectable even hundreds of kilometres away. 

Despite complaints from locals, the military remains unperturbed, citing contractual agreements with Kazakhstan to justify their actions.

Furthermore, the proximity to the missile range exacerbates the risk of wildfires, with locals often left to fend for themselves.

Despite contractual obligations for the Russian military to extinguish these fires, delays often result in widespread devastation before any response is mounted. 

Local residents have developed innovative methods to combat these fires independently, underscoring the neglect and abandonment they face from both Russian and Kazakhstani authorities.

In 2023 alone, Bokeyorda witnessed 16 fires triggered by missile falls, resulting in substantial property damage and livestock loss. 

However, there is little recourse for affected individuals to seek compensation for their losses.

Main image: By Mil.ru, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48784234

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Read also: Securing Peace: The Imperative of Denuclearisation of Russia for Global Security, by Yury Fedorov

“Denuclearisation should be a precondition for the lifting of sanctions on Russia, and any attempts at evading denuclearisation should lead to their strengthening up to the point of complete economic isolation of Russia as a potential threat to peace in Europe.”  – Sustainable Peace Manifesto, Never Again 2.0.

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