[9] Under the terms of this edict, travel to Shikhany was restricted and special police, procuracy and courts operated directly under Moscow jurisdiction.

Under the Versailles Treaty, Germany was forbidden from undertaking tests with chemical warfare agents or developing associated delivery systems.

Under the terms of the agreement with the Germans, the Tomka project was created with the aim of both producing chemical weapons and operating experimental establishments at the site.

During the Second World War, Soviet POWs who had been employed at Shikhany revealed to German intelligence that trials had been undertaken during the period 1939–1943 to test the dispersion of various chemical warfare agents in aerial bombs and aircraft sprayers.

During the period 3–4 October 1987, Colonel General Vladimir Karpovich Pikalov hosted foreign disarmament negotiators at the proving ground.

The guests are reported to have been shown a range of chemical munitions and during their visit a rabbit was injected with sarin extracted from a bomb to demonstrate that it was real.

[13] The following institutions and military units are currently reported to be located within Shikhany-2: the USSR Ministry of Defence's Order of the Red Banner of Labour 33rd Central Scientific-Research Experimental Institute (33rd TsNII);[14] the proving ground of the 33rd TsNII; the 16th Central Military Clinical Hospital; Secondary School No.

The 1st Mobile Brigade (ru:1-я мобильная бригада РХБ защиты) of the Russian NBC Protection Troops is based at the site.

There is a well-developed infrastructure at the base including access to a cable TV network and the internet, a café, nine grocery stores, three department stores, a post office and a branch of Russia's Sberbank, a sports centre incorporating a gym and swimming pool, a football pitch and ice hockey rink.