Russian defense minister dismisses Georgian uranium seizure story

Feb. 5, 2006

Abstract:

An article discussing relations between Georgia and the Russian Federation published by United Press International in September 2006 briefly referred to an incident from earlier this year, involving the seizure of a container of enriched uranium by Georgian security agents on the South Ossetian border. The same report states that Georgian officials assumed the material was intended to be sold in the Middle East.[1]

The report does not specify the enrichment level of the seized uranium.

Most likely the UPI story refers to an incident that was mentioned in the media in February 2006. According to a BBC report on this incident, Georgian media claimed that there had been a seizure of 80 grams of enriched uranium involving a Russian national, who was detained in Georgia. Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov reportedly described the claims as "absurd." There were no other reports on this incident, except for the coverage of Sergei Ivanov's comments.

Source:

[1] Stefan Nicola, "Analysis: Georgia-Russia conflict heats up," United Press International, 22 September 2006, www.upi.com.

{Entered: 12/15/06, RN}

Abstract Number: 200600140
Headline: Russian defense minister dismisses Georgian uranium seizure story
Date: 5 February 2006
Bibliography: BBC Worldwide Monitoring; in Lexis-Nexis database, http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe
Material: Enriched uranium

This material is produced independently for NTI by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, or agents. Copyright © 2011 by MIIS.

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This article is part of a collection examining reported incidents of nuclear or radioactive materials trafficking in or originating from the Newly Independent States.