Russian Nuclear Security Update #25
Personnel reliability for nuclear materials transportation; nuclear security upgrades; illegal export from the U.S.; Rosatom long-term staffing challenges; Russian university graduates at Akkuyu.
Dear Readers! Here is the holiday season Russian Nuclear Security Update. Thank you for reading me in 2024! I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Safe, and Secure New Year!
Atomspetstrans procures services in support of the personnel reliability program.
Different branches of Atomspetstrams, Rosatom’s transportation operator, buy services to support their personnel reliability programs.
The Zelenogorsk branch, which provides services to the uranium enrichment Electrochemical Plant, procures daily pre-shift and post-shift health evaluations for its drivers. These evaluations include general health indicators and checking for evidence of alcohol and drug intoxication. Medical personnel have the right to ban personnel from accessing work if any issues are identified and must report this to branch management. 53 branch employees are subject to this evaluation every weekday, and 12 branch employees are subject to evaluation every weekend day or holiday.
The branch at Electrostal, which provides services to nuclear fuel manufacturing Machinebuilding Plant, procures pre-hire and periodic mental health evaluations for many categories of personnel, including management, drivers, and maintenance personnel. It is expected that 169 evaluations will be conducted in 12 months.
Requirements for these evaluations are established by the Russian Ministry of Health depending on the employee's professional category.
Nuclear fuel cycle sites upgrade nuclear security.
Siberian Chemical Combine buys portable drone detectors, seals to lock vaults and transportation compartments, and upgrades the physical protection of the enrichment plant.
The Electrochemical Plant upgrades the physical protection of one of its buildings, vehicle and railroad car inspection capabilities, and video surveillance.
Urals Electrochemical Combine buys explosive detector and upgrades video surveillance at the closed city perimeter.
The American and Russian nationals are indicted in Massachusetts for export control violation.
One American and one Russian were each indicted in Massachusetts on one count of smuggling and one count of conspiracy to violate and evade export controls. The American was arrested on September 9, 2024, and was released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston. The Russian remains at large overseas. These two men were accused of illegally exporting laser welding machines for the Urals Electromechanical Plant in Ekaterinburg, a Rosatom enterprise producing automatics for nuclear weapons and uranium enrichment facilities.
Russian universities can provide only half of Rosatom’s perspective staffing demand.
Rosatom hires 3,000 university graduates annually, and its demand will grow to 8,000- 9,000 by 2030. At the same time, university output is expected to grow only 1.5 times. One potential solution considered is establishing university campuses in closed nuclear cities where nuclear sites are located, as there is concern that students graduating from major universities in a big city would not return to work in a closed city.
Akkuyu NPP employs over 350 Turkish graduates of Russian universities.
Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant currently employs over 350 Turkish engineers who have been trained in Russian universities. These employees completed undergraduate and graduate programs in designing and operating NPPs, radiation safety, electrical and heat engineering, and automatics.