Disarmament Diplomacy

Issue No. 63, March - April 2002

News Review

US Report on Russian Nuclear Safety and Security Issues

On February 22, the US National Intelligence Council (NIC) - an interagency body headed by Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director George Tenet - released its Annual Report to Congress on the Safety and Security of Russian Nuclear Facilities and Military Forces. The report, mandated by Congress since 1999, contains seven key findings:

"Moscow will continue to devote scarce resources to maintaining its nuclear forces. Nevertheless, the aging of Russia's strategic systems and Putin's military reform plan to shift resources to the general purpose forces probably will result in Russia having fewer than 2,000 strategic warheads by 2015."
"Russia employs physical, procedural, and technical measures to secure its weapons against an external threat, but many of these measures date from the Soviet era and are not designed to counter the pre-eminent threat faced today - an insider who attempts unauthorised actions."
"Security varies widely among the different types of Ministry of Atomic Energy (MinAtom) facilities and other Russian institutes."
"Weapons-grade and weapons-usable nuclear materials have been stolen from some Russian institutes. We assess that undetected smuggling has occurred, although we do not know the extent or magnitude of such thefts. Nevertheless, we are concerned about the total amount of material that could have been diverted over the last 10 years."
"Over the last six years, Moscow has recognised the need for security improvements and, with assistance from the United States and other countries, has taken steps to reduce the risk of theft."
"Russia's nuclear security has been slowly improving over the last several years, but risks remain."
"Russia has announced plans to more than double its capacity to generate nuclear power over the next 20 years and to begin construction of reactors with enhanced safety features. Since July 2001, Russian media have reported increased security measures at a number of nuclear power plants. Even with increased security measures, however, such plants almost certainly will remain vulnerable to a well-planned and executed terrorist attack."

Responding to the study's allegations of diversion of nuclear material from Russia, Atomic Energy Minister Alexander Rumyantsev stated bluntly on February 28: "Fissile materials have not disappeared... We do not confirm such reports." On March 7, however, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement warmly welcoming the study:

"It can be stated with satisfaction that the report positively assesses the degree of cooperation between Russia and the USA in this area, which has helped carry out in the last few years a considerable amount of work on enhancing the security of military and civilian nuclear facilities and ensuring the safety of nuclear materials. The Russian federation attaches great importance to the continuation of cooperation with the USA in this field, which meets the interests of both countries, especially in the light of the events of September 11, 2001. A confirmation of this has been the joint statement issued in November 2001 by Russian Federation minister of Atomic Energy Alexander Rumyantsev and US Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham, expressing a determination to intensify the joint efforts to ensure security for nuclear materials. Moscow believes that there are reserves for enhancing the efficacy in such cooperation, the tapping of which would help to accelerate the solution of the tasks facing the two countries substantially."

Note: on February 8, the independent Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) organisation, established by Ted Turner in January 2001, announced a set of ten initial projects for strengthening WMD safety and security in Russia. According to an NTI statement: "These projects are included in a first round of funding commitments totalling nearly $6 million devoted to Russian activities designed to: accelerate the safeguarding and destruction of weapons and materials; prevent the spread of nuclear and biological weapons and know-how; bring US and Russian scientists together to collaborate on counter-terrorism; develop a unique collaboration between a Russian institute [the School for International Security and World Politics (ISKRAN) at the Institute of USA and Canada Studies in Moscow] and an American university [the Center for International and Security Studies (CISSM) at the School of Public Affairs, University of Maryland] to conduct a joint course with Russia and American students on arms control and cooperative approaches to shared security problems."

Related Material on Acronym website:

US Report on Russian Nuclear Weapons Security

Reports: NTI opens Moscow office - announces initial projects with Russian partners, NTI Press Release, February 8 (http://www.nti.org); Russia gets help on weapons control, Associated Press, February 8; Annual report to Congress on the safety and security of Russian nuclear facilities and military forces, US National Intelligence Council, February 22 (http://www.cia.gov); US remains concerned over security of Russian nuclear weapons and materials, Global Security Newswire, February 22; Report - Russia nukes vulnerable, Associated Press, February 25; Russia denies fissile material theft reports, Global Security Newswire, March 1; Regarding the publication of the US National Intelligence Council's report on state of affairs with the security of nuclear weapons and civilian nuclear facilities in the Russian Federation, Russian Foreign Ministry Statement, Document 405-07-03-2002, March 7.