Russia Retrieved from Poland 500kg of Highly Enriched Uranium
OREANDA-NEWS. September 15, 2009. The cargo was delivered to one of the Russian ports on Monday, Director General of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation Sergey Kiriyenkio said during his meetings with Director General of the International Atomic Energy Corporation Modamed ElBaradei and his successor Yukiya Amano in Vienna.
Representative of Rosatom Sergey Novikov says that both leaders pointed out Russia’s contribution to the nuclear nonproliferation cause. Russia is the only country consistently and transparently processing highly enriched uranium.
As of today, the country has depleted 370 tons of weapons-grade uranium, which is equivalent to 14,700 nuclear bombs. By 2013 the country will process 130 tons more (i.e. 5,200 more bombs).
Besides, Russia is systematically retrieving fresh and spent highly enriched nuclear fuel from research reactors of Soviet design in third countries. Since 2002 it has returned 470 kg of fresh and 415 kg of spent fuel from 12 countries. This fuel could hypothetically be used for production of 11 nuclear bombs. The fuel retrieved from Poland would be enough for producing 7–8 bombs. But now after processing these 500 kg will be turned into low enriched fuel posing no threat to the nonproliferation regime, says Novikov.
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