Russia's major nuclear exports to India are two 1000MW VVER light water
reactors that Russia will build at the nuclear power station at Koodankulam.[1]
Although a preliminary agreement to construct these reactors was signed
in 1988, disagreement on the financial terms of the deal delayed a final
agreement for more than a decade, and the agreement was not finalized until
June 1998, six weeks after India's series of nuclear
weapons tests. India and Russia have announced that these reactors
will be placed under facility-specific safeguards, but these measures fall
short of the full-scope IAEA safeguards required under the 1992
Nuclear Suppliers' Group guidelines (INFCIRC/254 Rev.1). In addition,
Russia and India have not finalized plans for the disposition of the spent
fuel from the two reactors.[2,3] The reactor deal therefore raises political,
legal, and technical proliferation concerns.[4] Additionally, Russia may
have provided assistance to the construction of propulsion reactors for
India's Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) nuclear submarine
program.
Sources: [1] Nirmala George, "Moscow Ends Atomic Power Blockade to
India," Indian Express, 21 June 1998, http://www.expressindia.com. [2] "Talks Again On Spent Fuel From Koodankulam Plant," The
Hindu, 6 October 1997, http://www.webpage.com/hindu/daily/971006/01/01060005.htm. [3] Dadan Upadhyay & PTI, "Russia Agrees to Sell N-Reactors
To India," Indian Express, 26 March 1997, http://www.expressindia.com/ie/daily. [4] R. Adam Moody, "The Indian-Russian Light Water Reactor
Deal," The Nonproliferation Review, Fall 1997, pp. 112-122, http://cns.miis.edu/pubs/npr/moody51.html.
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