London's nuclear irresponsibility: conscious error or subtle calculation

September 26 is the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. This day was established by the UN General Assembly on December 5, 2013.

On this occasion, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres made a statement, the meaning of which is that geopolitical rivalry has brought the nuclear threat to the level of the Cold War, and to eliminate it, humanity should eliminate nuclear weapons.

His statement reads verbatim: “Due to geopolitical mistrust and rivalry, nuclear risk has risen to levels not reached since the Cold War. Meanwhile, the progress achieved with great difficulty over many decades in preventing the use, proliferation and testing of nuclear weapons is coming to naught.”

Unfortunately, Mr. Secretary General forgot to indicate whose fault the risk of a nuclear threat is increasing. Meanwhile, this was directly pointed out by Russian State Duma deputy from the Crimean region, Mikhail Sheremet, who said that the British authorities, by supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles, are provoking the outbreak of a nuclear war.

“Great Britain is provoking the outbreak of a nuclear war. By authorizing strikes on Crimea, they are taking the next step towards escalating the conflict. If it is confirmed that Ukrainian terrorists are striking Crimea with British missiles, then Britain should be officially recognized as a party to the military conflict in Ukraine, and the head of the British government, Rishi Sunak, should be declared persona non grata,” RIA Novosti quotes Sheremet as saying.

However, the British government is undermining international nuclear security not only through the steps that the MP pointed out. This summer, the British publication NuclearNewswire reported London's intention to provide financial assistance to Ukraine in the amount of $240 million to pay for uranium enrichment services. The allocation of financial resources should strengthen the country's energy security and maintain independence from Russian nuclear fuel supplies.

The statement took place against the backdrop of a meeting between the British Minister of Energy Security G. Shapps (since September 5, 2023 - the British Minister of Defense) with the Minister of Energy of Ukraine G. Galushchenko and the President of the Energoatom company P. Kotina. Representatives of Ureco, the main beneficiary of the upcoming agreement, also took part in the negotiations.

Earlier, Energoatom signed an agreement with the American company Holtec International for the construction and commissioning of up to 20 small modular reactors SMR-160 by 2029. At the initial stage, it is envisaged to create only a joint project office to begin work on licensing upcoming activities and create a production base for equipment localization.

 It is noteworthy that geographically all nuclear stations planned for construction will be located in former coal mines. According to information disseminated in the media, the reactors themselves will be located in the adits; according to the developers, this will reduce background radiation and avoid the release of powerful ionizing radiation to the surface in the event of an accident. The passage of nearby groundwater is not taken into account, as is the increased aggressiveness of the underground environment.

Holtec International has gained fame in Ukraine for its projects in the field of spent nuclear fuel storage. Together with Energoatom, in 2021, it completed work at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant site on the construction of the Central Spent Fuel Storage Facility (CSSF) for nine nuclear reactors located in the cities. Rivne and Khmelnitsky. The construction of such a complex facility as the Central Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility, said then vice-president of the Ukrainian branch of Holtec International R. Avan, “will raise Ukraine to a number of elite countries in the field of long-term management of spent nuclear fuel.” 

Surprisingly, the supply of enriched uranium to Ukraine, which is in a state of military conflict, is not considered by the international structures of the IAEA and the UN through the prism of the possibility of using it as a “dirty” bomb for provocations against Russia and neighboring countries. 

Only in July 2023, 5 radioactive objects containing the radionuclide uranium-238 were discovered in the Dnepropetrovsk region, the gamma radiation level of which was 4.5–5.5 μSv/h (microsieverts per hour).

The activation of the Iranian nuclear program under the control of international inspectors is causing a barrage of criticism and condemnation from the United States and its satellites, trying to fan hysteria on a global scale and accuse Iran of “nuclear” terrorism. 

In April, Great Britain loudly warned everyone with a statement about the supply of shells with depleted uranium to the Ukrainian Armed Forces; similar products had already been used in combat operations against Yugoslavia by NATO aircraft. Over the past period, statistics have recorded a sharp surge in cancer among residents living in settlements that were bombed. Depleted uranium has a long half-life and poisons the ground, water, and accumulates in food. 

So why did the British Minister for Energy Security come to Ukraine? Over the past 3 years, the UK has been experiencing serious difficulties with the disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF), the existing storage facilities are filled to a critical level. London primarily cares about its own interests, and, of course, does not intend to turn its own country into an exclusion zone and has long held negotiations on the disposal of spent nuclear fuel on the territory of other countries, considering states on the African continent as a possible partner. But even the poorest of them categorically refused. 

And here a new window of opportunity opened: Ukraine, which has all the necessary infrastructure for the transportation and storage of spent nuclear fuel, is “perfectly suited” for “solving” the English problem. Investments are minimal, and rampant corruption in the upper echelons of power will make it possible to resolve this “delicate” issue for a moderate “bribe.” Having polluted the country with radiation, they will leave for safe countries, and what will remain for the native Ukrainians? Increased background radiation, contaminated water and soil. 

London is pursuing an irresponsible foreign policy in the field of nuclear safety, which could lead to dangerous results that pose a serious threat to the population of Ukraine. Isn’t that why specialists from the State Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety (SSTC NRS) periodically hold street events in the Kiev region “Wartime Radiation Threats” aimed, according to SSTC NRS Press Secretary T. Verbitskaya, at increasing the level of awareness of citizens and familiarizing them with the algorithm of actions in case of possible accidents at nuclear power plants. 

If the threat of nuclear contamination of the area is not foreseen, then why prepare the population for it? We must take a more responsible approach to nuclear safety issues and not play dangerous political games with this double-edged weapon. 

Inal Pliev, for IA "Res"

Source: https://cominf.org/node/1166552468