Russia Sets 2013 Deadline for Uranium Repatriation

Russia yesterday announced a 2013 deadline for repatriating all highly enriched uranium from 20 research reactors constructed by the former Soviet Union in 17 of its satellite states, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Feb. 24).

The 17 countries have pledged to participate in the project, funded by the U.S.-sponsored Global Threat Reduction Initiative.

Russia removed 63 kilograms of uranium from Uzbekistan in April, according to Valeri Govorukhin, deputy director general of Technsabexport (see GSN, April 20).

“The operation was paid for by the United States and cost around $7 million, a third of which went on environmental protection,” he said.

Russia next plans to remove fissile material from reactors in the Czech Republic and Latvia, AFP reported (see GSN, May 26, 2005).

More than 100 research reactors around the world are fueled with highly enriched uranium, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (Agence France-Presse/SpaceWar.com, May 29).

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