Nuclear Security News and Member Updates, April 2022

All eyes remain on Ukraine, Nigeria holds a nuclear security summit, NNSA works on material minimization

By  Sneha Nair  •  Richard Cupitt

Dear Friend,

Not since I practiced “duck and cover” as a child and we went through the worst moments of the Cold War have we heard more explicit threats to use nuclear weapons by a NPT Nuclear Weapons State – a member of the UN Security Council supposedly committed to international peace and security – than we heard this month.  We also saw DG Grossi’s team visit Chernobyl (and Bucha) to see what could be done to address the damage resulting from the Russian occupation of the site. At the end of the month, these threats created a surreal juxtaposition for the participants at the first IAEA International Conference on Nuclear Law seeking to improve the legal infrastructure on the four pillars of nuclear law: safety, safeguards, security, and liability.    

Hope, Endurance, and Courage,

Rick Cupitt, Director, International Nuclear Security Forum

Join the conversation on Twitter: @INS_Forum

Updates

  • The International Nuclear Security (INSF) was represented in-person by INSF Director Richard Cupitt at International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) First International Conference on Nuclear Law in Vienna, Austria.   
  • The INSF is facilitating civil society participation in the IAEA webinar series on emerging technologies. If you are an INSF member who would like to be added to the invitation list, please fill out this form.

Nuclear Security News

International Architecture

  • IAEA Director General Visits Ukraine: “The aim of the visit is to initiate prompt safety and security support to Ukraine’s nuclear facilities. It will include sending IAEA experts to prioritized facilities and the shipment of vital safety and security supplies including monitoring and emergency equipment, IAEA said.”
  • IAEA Seeks Early Visit to Assess Radiation Levels around Chernobyl: “Drone footage published by Ukrainian authorities shows what they say are fortifications dug by Russian forces, who were in control of the area from 24 February until they left at the end of March. A film crew has also visited and posted footage of the area where the Russian forces were based. And Ukraine’s nuclear power company Energoatom has also reported that the archives at Chernobyl, going back decades, had been destroyed.”
  • International Community to Forge Vision for Future of Nuclear Law at First-Ever IAEA Conference: “More than 900 lawyers, representatives of national authorities, international organizations, nuclear industry and civil society from 127 countries are participating at the IAEA’s First International Conference on Nuclear Law: The Global Debate (ICNL) to discuss emerging issues and trends in nuclear law and the applicable legal frameworks… Ensuring that the world can reap the benefits of nuclear technology while minimizing the risks has been the founding principle of the nuclear legal framework. Within the four main branches of international nuclear law – safety, security, safeguards, and civil liability for nuclear damage –instruments, norms and standards aim to curb associated risks.”

Weapons, Materials, and Facilities

  • Experts Brainstorm on Security, Safety of Nigeria’s Nuclear Facilities: “After 18 years of successful operation of the nation’s nuclear facilities, the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) on Tuesday gathered experts in Zaria for a 3-day workshop to brainstorm on the continuous safety and security of nuclear facilities in the country. The experts at the training workshop, held at the Centre for Energy Research and Training, addressed the safety, security, and safeguards of nuclear in the nation’s environment.”
  • National Nuclear Security Administration Breaks Ground on Security Project: “The National Nuclear Security Administration [(NNSA)]this week held the groundbreaking of the multiyear Security Infrastructure Revitalization Program at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Tennessee. The project will replace a portion of the existing perimeter intrusion detection and assessment system, known as PIDAS, and upgrade other security features.”
  • Biden Says Nuclear Attack Sub He Commissioned Will Bolster U.S. Security: “In a public ceremony delayed two years by the pandemic, President Joe Biden on Saturday commissioned the USS Delaware, a nuclear attack submarine, saying it would enhance national security, though he made no reference to the global turmoil from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In April 2020, with the coronavirus pandemic spreading across the United States, the Delaware was commissioned while underwater, a first for a navy vessel.”
  • Project Sapphire: How to Keep 600 Kilograms of Kazakh Highly Enriched Uranium Safe: “In October 1994, three US military C-5s cargo planes, carrying a US technical team and equipment, landed in Ust-Kamenogorsk. In four weeks, the team handled 2,200 kilograms of material and packed roughly 600 kilograms of highly enriched uranium into more than 400 shipping containers. Several factors made Project Sapphire possible: Kazakhstan’s strategic decision to pursue a non-nuclear path, Russia’s lack of interest in the material, Washington’s readiness to innovate, and the trust between Kazakhstan and the United States.”
  • Russia’s Aggression Prompts Calls to Rethink U.S. Uranium Imports: “Russia’s exports of oil and gas have received outsize attention as Western nations have sought to impose economic penalties on the country. But the invasion of Ukraine has also put a spotlight on Russia’s sale of uranium to the United States, the world’s largest consumer of the metal, where nuclear power accounts for about 20 percent of electricity generation.”
  • How Feds are Working to Keep Dangerous Radioactive Materials out of the Wrong Hands: “Just a little radioactive material, the equivalent of a pinch of salt, is enough to create a dirty bomb that can wreak havoc on a city or town, according to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. That’s why the US Energy Department created the RadSecure100 program to remove radioactive materials in 100 metropolitan areas including Raleigh.”
  • Second Staff Rotation at Chernobyl: “Nuclear power plant operator Energoatom announced on 9 April that it provided its boat for the change of staff at the Chernobyl plant. Most of the workers at Chernobyl, including 46 volunteers, had been there since 20 March. However, 13 workers had been on site since 24 February.”
  • U.S. Conducted Subcritical Nuclear Tests Under Biden Government: “The United States conducted two rounds of subcritical nuclear tests last year, the first such tests under the administration of President Joe Biden, according to the National Nuclear Security Administration. Subcritical nuclear experiments are deemed indispensable to a US plan to modernize its nuclear warheads on intercontinental ballistic missiles and the development of a new type of cruise missile known as long-range standoff weapons.”
  • Energoatom to Develop New Program to Protect its Facilities, Taking into Account Experience of Russian Aggression – Company Head: “National Nuclear Generating Company Energoatom will develop a new program to protect Ukraine’s nuclear facilities to increase their defense capability, taking into account the experience of military aggression by the Russian Federation, the head of the company, Petro Kotin, has said. The head of Energoatom said that priority measures will be implemented at the expense of the company, but in the future government programs will be developed to strengthen the protection of not only nuclear, but also other strategic facilities, taking into account the experience of this war.”
  • Interactive Map and New Risk Analysis Reveals Severe Hazards at Ukraine’s Nuclear Plants Caused by Russian Invasion: “Created with data from the Institute for the Study of War and the Centre for Information Resilience among others, and displaying the proximity of Russian troops and military hardware to each of Ukraine’s 15 commercial nuclear reactors over time, the interactive map provides a chilling interactive visualisation of the potential for nuclear catastrophe at regular intervals.”

Emerging Technologies

  • China’s ‘Nuclear Train’ – As US Flexes Muscles in Asia, Beijing Eyes to Launch its ICBMs Via High-Speed Railways: “The Chinese government is exploring options for the deployment of rail-borne inter-continental ballistic missiles and high-speed rail is being considered as a potential launch platform for nuclear strikes after a new study by Chinese researchers suggested it was more suitable than previously thought. The concept of railway mobile nukes goes back several decades. In the 1980s, the Soviet Union became the first power to acquire the operational capability of a train-based ballistic missile launch system by developing the RT-23 Molodets ICBM that could fit inside a standard train wagon.”

Threats

  • Portable Nuclear Device Missing from Stolen Vehicle in Pennsylvania: “Authorities in Pennsylvania are searching for a missing portable nuclear device containing radioactive material that belongs to a local construction inspection company.”
  • The Russian War in Ukraine and the Impact on Nuclear Security, Arms Control Must Remain the Goal: “”From the beginning of the conflict, the United States and NATO repeatedly conveyed the message that they would not send troops to defend Ukraine, although they were prepared to arm the government in Kyiv and raise the costs of intervention for Russia. Still, while launching the military operation, Russian President Vladimir Putin explicitly warned the West not to think of intervening militarily, implicitly threatening that this could lead to a nuclear war.”
  • GAO Warns of Increasing Risk of a Dirty Bomb Attack: “The risks of a dirty bomb attack are increasing and the consequences could be devastating. The Government Accountability Office reported in 2019 that a dirty bomb using radioactive materials could trigger mass evacuations and have socioeconomic costs of billions of dollars.”
  • NNSA to Conduct Aerial Radiation Assessment Survey over Boston April 13-18: “The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) will conduct low-altitude helicopter flights over the Boston Marathon route Wednesday, April 13, through Monday, April 18 in preparation for the race and the events related to it.”

Material Minimization

  • NNSA Removes Plutonium from IAEA Nuclear Material Laboratory: “The US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) has announced the removal of plutonium from the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Office of Safeguards Analytical Services Nuclear Material Laboratory in Siebersdorf, Austria, to Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The reduction of this excess nuclear material from the Nuclear Material Laboratory will ensure that the IAEA can maintain its flexibility to support nuclear verification and monitoring activities critical to global non-proliferation objectives.”

Member Organization Announcements and Updates

James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS)

  • Bill Potter authored “The Fallout from Russia’s Attack on Ukrainian Nuclear Facilities,” in War on the Rocks. Read the piece.
  • Bill Potter also co-authored, “Russian Misinformation about Ukrainian Radiological Weapons Capabilities and Intentions” with Matthew Goldenberg in CNS’ collection, Putin’s War with Ukraine: Voices of CNS Experts on the Russian Invasion. Read the article.

The Stimson Center

  • The Stimson Center in partnership with the National Nuclear Security Administration hosted the third workshop in their Nuclear Security Innovation Workshop Series: Challenges and Opportunities of Emerging Technologies for Nuclear Security, “Balancing the beneficial role of international institutions in emerging tech with national security concerns” on April 26, 2022. The keynote speaker was Charles Massey, Nuclear Security Officer at the IAEA.
  • Richard Cupitt presented interim results from its RadSecLEXIS project on national legal frameworks to secure radioactive materials while attending the first IAEA International Conference on Nuclear Law, April 24-29, in Vienna.

Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies

  • Ruhee Neog authored a piece for Asia-Pacific Leadership Network, “An Accidental Missile Launch and a Lesson for Indian Communications.” Read the op-ed.

International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)

  • Markus Schiller authored a research paper entitled, “Missile Identification and Assessment.” Read the piece.
  • Antoine Levesques wrote an analysis piece, “India’s Pralay ballistic missile: a step towards a rocket force?” Read the analysis.

Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI)

  • More than 40 experts from nuclear operators across 15 countries and several international organizations worked to develop practical steps to strengthen cybersecurity at nuclear facilities during the fifth meeting of NTI’s Cyber-Nuclear Forum earlier this month. During the April 4-8 meeting near Marseille, France, participants (some of whom joined virtually) focused on the practical challenges of dealing with ransomware, supply chain issues, recruiting and retaining a skilled workforce, and how best to measure the effectiveness of security measures. Learn more.
  • On April 22, 2022, NTI published a full list of NTI resources on the war in Ukraine, including key interviews, op-eds, official statements, and reports. Explore the resources.
  • On April 15, 2022, NTI published its 2021 Annual Report, detailing the organization’s accomplishments in reducing global nuclear and biological threats before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and as the global COVID-19 pandemic raged on. Read the report.

Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP)

  • A delegation of VCDNP experts took part in the first Conference of States Parties to the CPPNM and its Amendment, including official conference sessions and side events. Learn more.
  • On 29 March 2022, the VCDNP hosted a hybrid side event at the Conference of the Parties to the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (A/CPPNM) with Ambassador Bonnie D. Jenkins. Watch the event.
  • On 7 April 2022, the VCDNP held a virtual event on the future of US-China nuclear relations featuring Dr. David Santoro, President of the Pacific Forum. Read more.

World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS)

  • WINS has opened registration for its invitation only “WINS Ambassador Annual Online Meeting” to take place from June 8, 2022 to June 9, 2022. This event is for WINS ambassadors only to enable the sharing of their thoughts and ideas for the progression of a strong and uniform nuclear security culture. Find more information.

Individual Member Updates

  • Artem Lazarev at UNODC shared the following updates:
    • UNODC published a Manual on Fictional Cases related to offences under the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. The manual is focused on Article 2 of the Convention, which sets forth the criminalization requirements that need to be transposed by States parties in their national legislation. The manual presents a series of scenarios in the form of: (a) a concise description of a fictional case focused on a distinctive feature of the Convention; (b) a series of questions; and (c) an analysis of the case in the form of answers to the questions posed. Read more.
    • UNODC developed a factsheeton International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (ICSANT) as well as a leaflet on ICSANT criminalization provisions. Explore the publications.
    • UNODC delivered a statement at the plenary session of the Conference of the Parties to the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material on UNODC activities related to the promotion and assisting in effective implementation of the Amendment. UNODC also contributed to a side event on the universalization of the Amendment, which was hosted by Canada and the International Atomic Energy Agency and entitled “Towards Universal Adherence to the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material: Challenges, Success Stories and the Way Forward.”
  • Ali Alkis was appointed WINS Academy Ambassador from Turkey. Learn more.
  • Md Shafiqul Islam authored an op-ed for The Daily Star, titled, “Ukraine war and the reliance on Russian energy.” Read the piece.

Jobs

  • CRDF Global has numerous opportunities available to join their nuclear security team. View the job descriptions.
  • The National Nuclear Security Administration’s Graduate Fellowship Program applications are now open. Learn more.
  • The Center for Strategic and International Studies is hiring a Director and Senior Fellow for their Project on Nuclear Issues. View the posting.
  • The Union of Concerned Scientists has opened applications for the Kendall Fellowship: Nuclear Weapons, Science, and Equity. View the vacancy.
  • The IAEA is in search of a candidate to fill a Nuclear Security Officer (Major Public Events)(P4) position. Read more.

Recent & Related

Resource
Christina McAllister • Annie Trentham
Resource
Christina McAllister • Annie Trentham

Subscription Options

* indicates required

Research Areas

Pivotal Places

Publications & Project Lists

38 North: News and Analysis on North Korea