Nuclear Security News and Member Updates, August 2022

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

This August marked six months of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and refocused global attention on the unprecedented occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The world has watched as shelling has rained over the nuclear facility, waiting with bated breath for a radiological disaster that has often felt inevitable over the course of this conflict. While danger continues to loom, the International Atomic Energy Agency’s mission to Zaporizhzhia is a welcome measure in the efforts to divert a nuclear accident. The IAEA’s endeavor to restore safety and security to the facility is only the first of many steps needed to secure the Zaporizhzhia and begin restoring international norms that keep critical infrastructure safe from these kinds of attacks.

As the IAEA investigates, the world watches.

The failure to reach consensus at the Tenth Review Conference of the NPT this month will do further damage to the nuclear nonproliferation regime. The final document had several paragraphs lending strong support to matters of nuclear security (especially 42-51), but the Conference failed to reach agreement as Russia objected to paragraph 34, which addressed the issues raised by the military occupation of Zaporizhzhia in particular. With the nuclear nonproliferation regime already riven by frustrations with the pace and even direction of nuclear disarmament, I have to remind myself that we have made the world safer from nuclear catastrophe in the past – and keep in mind that we can, must, and will continue to do so in the future.

Hope, Endurance, and Courage,

Rick

Director, International Nuclear Security Forum

Join the conversation on Twitter: @INS_Forum

Updates

• The INSF welcomes its two newest Advisory Board Members:
  • Hubert Foy is the founding director and senior research scientist of the African Centre for Science and International Security, headquartered in Accra, Ghana since 2012. For a decade, Hubert has published and spoken widely on nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament, nuclear and radiological security, space safety and security, and dual-use science and technology. Hubert is a pillar of the nuclear security community and his presence on the board will strengthen INSF outreach efforts, engagement opportunities, and membership growth – particularly within the International Nuclear Security Education Network.
  • John Erath is the Senior Policy Director for the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, overseeing the policy team and guiding work on issues including Iran, Russia, North Korea, China, U.S. domestic nuclear policy and more. This follows 30 years of government service, much of it in arms control and non-proliferation. He is the author of several award-winning articles on military history and three plays. John has a strong policy background and ties to the Hill that could help advance the work of the International Nuclear Security Forum and strengthen its presence in the policy-making community.
• The INSF also welcomes its newest member organizations:
  • Black Sea Women in Nuclear Network
  • Center for Radiological and Nuclear Security, Purdue University
  • Ubique Risk Management
• The INSF call for proposals for the Nuclear Security Policy Menu series is still open. Find application details here.

Nuclear Security News

Impact: The Invasion of Ukraine

• IAEA to visit Zaporizhia nuclear plant ‘in next few days,’ as Ukraine officials hand out iodine pills: “International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors are expected to go to the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia power plant later this week, as the city’s authorities made iodine pills available to residents due to fears over a possible nuclear accident.”
• Russia detains two Zaporizhzhia nuclear workers for handling Ukraine information: “The National Guard said it had prevented what it called “illegal actions” that threatened the plant’s security, and arrested the two staff, who it said had transmitted information to Ukrainian armed forces about the location of personnel and equipment on the site. It said it also detained a third person who had violated the plant’s access procedures, describing them in a statement as ‘an accomplice of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who transmitted the coordinates of the movement of columns of Russian equipment.’”
• Ukraine nuclear plant worker killed by Russian mortar as tensions rise: “An employee at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and his driver were killed in a mortar explosion outside the facility, underscoring the perilous situation at Europe’s largest nuclear plant, the president of Ukraine’s nuclear power company said Tuesday… The worker’s death comes as Russia is ‘stepping up efforts to launch more strikes against Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and government facilities in the coming days,’ including Ukrainian Independence Day[.]”
• In Ukraine, a Nuclear Plant Held Hostage: “Standing between the world and a nuclear calamity are the Ukrainian workers who know the plant intimately, having run it for years with the utmost precaution in a sleepy corner of southern Ukraine where the city and the plant had once lived in a steady and predictable symbiosis before the Russians arrived. Today, under Russian occupation, the plant employees are both hostages and essential workers — Ukrainian engineers duty bound to prevent disaster while working under the watchful eye of Russian snipers… Some 100 plant workers have been detained by Russian forces, according to Ukrainian officials and residents. Ten of those are still missing. It is up to a skeletal crew of stressed, tired and scared workers to prevent disaster.”
• Europe’s largest nuclear plant is under threat. But experts say a Chernobyl-sized disaster is unlikely: “Nuclear experts are keen to defuse some of the more alarmist warnings, explaining that the main threat is closest to the plant itself and doesn’t justify Europe-wide alerts. Experts are particularly wary of any comparisons to the Chernobyl disaster, a repeat of which is incredibly unlikely, they said… Experts instead suggest that the feasible worst-case would look more like another, more recent disaster. “Fukushima is a better analogy than Chernobyl,” Acton said. ‘In this event, evacuations may be required for tens of kilometers around the plant, especially downwind. In the middle of a war those would be exceptionally dangerous.’ Any radioactive fallout would spread around 10 or 20 kilometers from Zaporizhzhia before it would cease to pose serious health risks, experts suggest.”
• U.N. Security Council Meeting Focuses on Threat to Nuclear Plant: “As United Nations officials pleaded for inspection and demilitarization of a battle-scarred nuclear power plant caught in Russia’s war on Ukraine, the two countries traded harsh accusations at a Security Council meeting and a path forward to avert a nuclear disaster remained unclear.”
• Ukraine says Russia plans to disconnect nuclear plant’s power blocks from grid: “Ukraine’s Energoatom state nuclear company said on Friday Russian forces planned to switch off the functioning power blocks at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and to disconnect them from the Ukrainian power grid… Turning the plant off would pile new pressure on Ukrainian supplies, particularly in the south. Ukraine is already bracing for its most difficult winter since independence and preparing for a possible energy shortage.”
• Zaporizhzhia nuclear workers: We’re kept at gunpoint by Russians: “[T]wo workers have told the BBC about the daily threat of kidnap, as well as their fears of either ‘radioactive contamination of the wider region’ or a nuclear catastrophe… Svitlana has worked at the plant for many years, and says shells have been landing close to it every day. ‘The psychological situation is difficult,’ she adds. ‘Soldiers are walking everywhere with weapons and everyone is actually kept at gunpoint.’”
• U.N Watchdog warns of ‘nuclear disaster’ from shelling at Zaporizhzhia plant: “The United Nations nuclear chief warned of a potential “nuclear disaster” after shelling of Europe’s largest atomic power plant, once again urging Russia and Ukraine to allow a mission of experts access to the facility to help secure it.”
• How dangerous is the situation at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant?: “The reactors are designed to withstand substantial impact – think of a civilian airliner crashing into them – protected with steel and reinforced concrete as well as fire protection systems, although a strike from a substantial missile might be more problematic. The buildings housing the spent fuel, however, are not built with a similar level of protection, meaning that a release of spent fuel material is probably a greater risk from fighting than a catastrophic breach of a reactor, although more limited. The reality is that the situation at the plant in terms of safety operations is probably the most serious issue, as a deteriorating safety regime caused by the conflict has been exacerbated by a risk of a strike.”
• Ukraine’s nuclear chief calls for military-free zone at Zaporizhzhia plant: “”The decision that we demand from the world community and all our partners… is to withdraw the invaders from the territory of the station and create a demilitarized zone on the territory of the station,” Petro Kotin said on television. ‘The presence of peacekeepers in this zone and the transfer of control of it to them, and then also control of the station to the Ukrainian side would resolve this problem,’ he said… Kotin flagged the risk of shelling hitting spent nuclear fuel containers as a particular danger.”
• Using Nuclear Reactors for Cover, Russians Lob Rockets at Ukrainians: “Along most of the front line in Russia’s war in Ukraine, when one side lets loose with an artillery attack, the other shoots back. But not in Nikopol, a city deep in southern farm country where the Ukrainian military faces a new and vexing obstacle as it prepares for a major counteroffensive: a nuclear power station that the Russian Army has turned into a fortress.”

International Architecture

• Russia blocks final document at nuclear treaty conference: “The four references in the draft final document to the Zaporizhzhia plant, where Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of shelling, would have had the parties to the NPT express ‘grave concern for the military activities’ at or near the facility and other nuclear plants. It also would have recognized Ukraine’s loss of control and the International Atomic Energy Agency’s inability to ensure the plant’s nuclear material is safeguarded. It supported IAEA efforts to visit Zaporizhzhia to ensure there is no diversion of its nuclear materials, a trip the agency’s director is hoping to organize in the coming days The draft also expressed ‘grave concern’ at the safety of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities, in particular Zaporizhzia, and stressed ‘the paramount importance of ensuring control by Ukraine’s competent authorities.’ After the conference’s failure to adopt the document, dozens of countries took the floor to express their views.”
• Examining ‘Gender-Sensitive’ Approaches to Nuclear Weapons Policy: a Study of the Non-Proliferation Treaty: “Their article provides an overview of the movement to include gender in nuclear policymaking before conducting an analysis of the discourse on gender in a core institution of nuclear politics, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Through qualitative analysis of five years of NPT texts, they find that dominant understandings of a ‘gender sensitive approach’ centre on the inclusion of women.”
• IAEA Supports Costa Rica in Nuclear Security Efforts for Women’s U-20 Football World Cup: “The assistance aims at strengthening national capabilities by providing training and the first ever deployment of the IAEA’s most advanced nuclear security protection software yet, the Mobile-Integrated Nuclear Security Network (M-INSN). M-INSN is a software tool used by front-line officers to quickly obtain, and act on, the radiation data they need to protect the public in case of an incident involving nuclear material… The Agency provided training to national authorities on nuclear security measures and lent around 100 radiation detection instruments for the tournament, which runs from 10 to 28 August.”
• Kazakhstan to stand firm behind nuclear security principles – President Tokayev: “Our country will stand firm behind the principles of nuclear security, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated via Twitter, Kazinform reports. ‘Today is the International day against nuclear tests. It is of a paramount importance for humanity. Nuclear explosions have caused severe damage to the Kazakh land. Such tragedy shouldn’t happen again. Our country will stand firm behind the principles of nuclear security,’ the President tweeted.”
• WINSI Join Forces with Universities in Promoting Gender Equality in Nuclear Security: “The IAEA’s Women in Nuclear Security Initiative (WINSI) is joining forces with universities in Egypt, Germany, India and the United States of America to empower and attract more young women to pursue studies and careers in nuclear security, and increase the representation of women in this field.”
• IAEA Nuclear Security Training and Demonstration Centre Nears Completion: “One year after a  ceremony to break ground for an international nuclear security training centre at the IAEA’s facility in Seibersdorf, near Vienna, a near-complete building is now visible… The Centre will house state-of-the-art technical equipment that will help provide advanced training to specialists and experts implementing complex nuclear security projects. It will help strengthen countries’ abilities to tackle nuclear terrorism and prevent the illicit trafficking of nuclear and other radioactive material.”

Weapons, Materials, and Facilities

• How Safe Are Nuclear Power Plants?: “For those who are deeply concerned about the safety of nuclear power, Wellock’s book paints a disturbing picture. The technical challenge of assuring nuclear safety, and of numerically calculating the risk of a bad accident, was at the basis of many uncertainties… Wellock’s book notes that some analysts have put forward rough statistics based on the history of the worldwide nuclear industry: the world’s reactors have now been in operation for more than fourteen thousand ‘reactor-years,’ and to date there have been ‘five core-damage accidents’—Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and the three reactors at Fukushima. These numbers, in a back-of-the-envelope sense, suggest that the world should expect one full or partial meltdown every six to seven years. If that estimate is plausible—Wellock presents no challenge to it—then the worldwide nuclear program is slightly overdue for its next big surprise.”
• NNSA’s large-scale ‘dirty bomb’ exercise in Austin succeeded by exposing potential gaps and failures: “In the weeklong scenario, terrorists first warned they were going to detonate a radiological dispersal device and then followed through with the threat. Hundreds of responders from more than 30 government agencies came together to handle what happened next… Locally, Cobalt Magnet was led by Austin’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, directed by Juan Ortiz, who said the value of the exercise wasn’t just in what agencies got right – but what they got wrong.”
• The lost nuclear bombs that no one can find: “There have been at least 32 so-called “broken arrow” accidents – those involving these catastrophically destructive, earth-flattening devices – since 1950. In many cases, the weapons were dropped by mistake or jettisoned during an emergency, then later recovered. But three US bombs have gone missing altogether – they’re still out there to this day, lurking in swamps, fields and oceans across the planet.”
• NNSA’s Hruby Visits South Korea To Discuss National Security, Nonproliferation, And Nuclear Security Issues: “Administrator Hruby also visited the Korea Institute for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control (KINAC), where she spoke to its president about the strong ties between NNSA and KINAC in nonproliferation and nuclear security. In particular, she praised the work at the International Nuclear Nonproliferation Security Academy, where experts from NNSA and KINAC jointly train officials from around the world on nonproliferation and nuclear security best practices.”

Threats

• FBI searched Trump’s home to look for nuclear documents and other items, sources say: “Material about nuclear weapons is especially sensitive and usually restricted to a small number of government officials, experts said. Publicizing details about U.S. weapons could provide an intelligence road map to adversaries seeking to build ways of countering those systems. And other countries might view exposing their nuclear secrets as a threat, experts said… Former senior intelligence officials said in interviews that during the Trump administration, highly classified intelligence about sensitive topics, including about intelligence-gathering on Iran, was routinely mishandled.”
• Ukraine nuclear power company says Russian hackers attacked website: “Ukraine’s state nuclear power company Energoatom said Russian-based hackers launched a major three-hour attack on its website on Tuesday but had not caused significant problems. ‘The Russian group People’s Cyber Army carried out a cyber attack using 7.25 million bot users, who simulated hundreds of millions of views of the company’s main page,’ Energoatom said in a statement.”
• Plea deals upended for pair accused of peddling nuclear sub secrets: “A federal judge Tuesday rejected plea bargains for a Navy engineer and his wife who allegedly tried to sell military secrets, saying the prison terms called for by the deals were too lenient for a couple accused of offering U.S. nuclear submarine data to a foreign government. Jonathan Toebbe, 43, a civilian engineer for the Navy, and Diana Toebbe, 46, a private-school teacher, lived in Annapolis, Md., before they were arrested in October in a case involving a year-long FBI sting and cloak-and-dagger elements that seemed straight out of a spy novel, including the attempted transfer of confidential submarine data hidden in a peanut butter sandwich, authorities said. In plea bargains with federal prosecutors — signed early this year and initially accepted by a federal magistrate — the couple admitted to violating the Atomic Energy Act.”

Security Culture

• A watchdog lied to get radioactive materials. Terrorists could, too: “Want to make a dirty bomb? Need radioactive materials, but don’t have the required license? Don’t worry, maybe you too can fake a document and get the restricted supplies needed for your project. That’s the scary lesson from congressional watchdog investigators who were able to use bogus documents — twice — to purchase radioactive goods because of weak protections. The issue is defined in the first line of a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report: ‘The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) current system for verifying licenses does not adequately protect against the purchase of high-risk radioactive materials using a fraudulent license.’”
• Can Trump Just Declare Nuclear Secrets Unclassified?: “One of the apparent defenses offered up by former President Trump’s lawyers to the discovery of highly-classified materials at Mar-a-Lago is that Trump had a ‘standing order’ that any classified materials he took home with him were, by fiat, declassified. Never mind for a moment about whether there is any record of this order from when Trump was president or whether he had the putative power to issue it. Never mind, either, whether this means that these documents are now unclassified and should be available to anyone willing to file a Freedom of Information Act request for them. Let us instead look at whether any president actually has the power to do this, especially given that these documents allegedly contain papers related to nuclear weapons secrets.”
• Big changes ahead for how troops battle future chemical, biological threats: “Over the next few years, troops working closely with chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats will get new suits, gloves and better detection devices. Those are small, though important, changes in how they can better combat a growing list of nasty threats that do not always involve bullets and missiles. But what will really change their work is a combined threat review, new strategy and increased funding to push CBRN to the forefront of defense thinking… Adding another layer of data mining and machine learning will help frontline CBRN better face currently unknown dangers that threaten to overwhelm defense, civilian and emergency response in ways that could exceed the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Material Minimization

• 45 kilograms of highly enriched uranium safely removed from Japan and returned to the United States: “Fulfilling a commitment made at the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit, the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) announced the removal of all highly enriched uranium (HEU) from the Kyoto University Critical Assembly (KUCA).”

Member Organization Announcements and Updates

Arms Control Association

• In Arms Control Today, Daryl Kimball authored a piece on renewed commitments from the Biden-Harris administration on nuclear arms control negotiation and nuclear risk reduction opportunities in, “An Opening for Renewed Disarmament Diplomacy.” Learn more.
• Daryl Kimball was quoted in an AP article, “Russia blocks final document at nuclear treaty conference” on the failure of the NPT review conference to reach consensus on a final document and the implications of this failure on the global nonproliferation regime. Read the article.
• Arms Control Association published “Updates from the 10th NPT Review Conference” biweekly over the course of the review conference. Review the updates.

Black Sea Women in Nuclear Network (BSWN)

• BSWN hosted the first session of Black Sea Experts NucTalks on August 29, 2022. Featured speakers include, Dr. Valeriia Gergiieva, Visiting Fellow at the University of Hamburg, Research Fellow at the Odesa Centre for Nonproliferation, Ukraine; Dr. Shorena Lortkipanidze, founder and a board member of the Civil Council on Defense and Security, Tbilisi, Georgia; Valeriia Hesse, Non-Resident Fellow at the Odesa Centre for Nonproliferation, Ukraine; and Nomsa Michelle Ndongwe, Research Associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, USA.
• The Black Sea Women in Nuclear Network made its debut at the IAEA’s International Conference on Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources: Accomplishments and Future Endeavors (June 20-24, 2022). This recently established professional network brings together women and men across the Black Sea region, including Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Ukraine, and Turkey, who are involved in the nuclear field. A BWSN exhibition booth at the conference encouraged hundreds of conference participants to stop by and learn more about the BSWN, its mission, and activities. The network managed to conquer many hearts among its visitors and engage like-minded people in future cooperation.

Global Nuclear Security Partners

• Global Nuclear Security Partners have been granted Observer status of the IAEA’s International Nuclear Security Education Network. They look forward to working with international partners to strengthen nuclear security globally through developing and promoting nuclear security education programs.

The Stimson Center

• Sneha Nair published Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Nuclear Security Culture: Insider Threat Assessments at Nuclear Facilities, a conference paper presented during the 63rd annual meeting of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (INMM).  Read the policy paper.

International Nuclear Security Education Network (INSEN)

• The International Nuclear Security Education Network (INSEN) Annual Meeting was held in Vienna at VIC on 18-22 July 2022.
• Mr. Cary Crawford, Mr. Willem Janssens, and Mr. Richard Cupitt gave presentations on INMM, ESARDA, and INSF.
• The INSEN Chair, Mr. Matteo Gerlini (University of Siena), opened the meeting by recalling the motive of the inception of INSEN, in a different environment, amid the rising risk of nuclear terrorism when the international community had varied opinions and how IAEA promoted the partnership for the nuclear security education. This was more than ten years ago. Now the world is still living with the pandemic and is also burdened with the effects of the war in Ukraine. INSEN discussed a new vision of nuclear security adapted to the present, a vision 2025. The INSEN Annual Meeting discussed many topics. INSEN members, the IAEA, and other nuclear security experts presented. A panel focused on the “Role of NGOs, regional networks and R&D associations in strengthening nuclear security” is relevant to this mailing list. Read the report.

James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS)

• In August, CNS completed a year-long project on strengthening security culture for users of radioactive material and sources in Central Asia and Azerbaijan. The effort led by Margarita Kalinina-Pohl, was sponsored by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) with funding from the Department of Energy’s National Security Administration’s (NNSA’s) Office of Radiological Security. It was implemented jointly with the CBRN Safety and Security Agency (CBRN SSA) of Tajikistan. The project’s goals were to increase awareness about security culture among users of radioactive sources at medical, research, and commercial facilities and recognize its importance; promote interactions between facilities and national regulatory bodies; analyze current attitudes and trends on security culture awareness; introduce an online self-assessment security culture survey; and initiate a network of radiological security culture professionals in Central Asia. Read the report.

Managing the Atom

• Francesca Giovannini published an article in Arms Control Today, “Negative Security Assurances After Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine,” where she examines the implications of the Russian occupation of a neighboring European state on international and nuclear security. Read the article.
• Mariana Budjeryn was interviewed by CNN on the rising tensions when Zaporizhzhia was cut off from the Ukrainian power grid. Watch the video.
• Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation’s Nukes of Hazard podcast hosts spoke with Mariana Budjeryn learn about Ukraine’s game-changing decision to give up the bomb after the fall of the USSR. Listen to the podcast.
• Mariana Budjeryn was featured on ABC News’ “When will the Ukraine-Russia War End?” Watch the clip.

NPSGLOBAL Foundation

• On August 15th Irma Arguello participated as a speaker in the NTI’s side event to the 10th NPT Review Conference in NYC about regional perspectives to strengthen the NPT and its review process. To the event, supported by the Norwegian MFA, also attended the NPT president designated Gustavo Zlauvinen.
• On August 17 the NPSGLOBAL Foundation cohosted together with the governments of Norway, Brazil and Kazakhstan and VERTIC a side event about Building Multilateral Capacities in Nuclear Disarmament Verification.  
• Speakers included Irma Arguello and the president-designated Gustavo Zlauvinen..   

Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI)

• NTI published a statement on the crisis at Zaporizhzhia. Read the statement.
• Scott Roecker and Nickolas Roth coauthored “Why al-Zawahiri’s death should focus attention on nuclear terrorism—foreign and domestic,” in the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. Read more.
• Scott Roecker spoke with CBS News for their piece, Ukraine and Russia trade blame over nuclear risk. Read the article.
• Nickolas Roth was interviewed on BBC Radio. Listen here.
• NTI published, #CranesForOurFuture Delivers Message of Hope for a World Without Nuclear Weapons. Learn more.  
• The NTI team attended the 10^th NPT Review Conference in New York. Read the summary.

Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS)

• UCS co-founder Dr. Kurt Gottfried passed away on August 25, 2022. He was a lifelong advocate for peace and accountability, a respected physicist, and an inspiration to many. Read the statement.
• Ed Lyman published a blog post, “Can the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Avoid a Major Disaster?” on the UCS website. Read the piece.

University of Antwerp

• The Research Group International Politics of the University of Antwerp (Belgium) is organizing an invitation-only international workshop on 23 September 2022 in Antwerp on insider threats and more in particular on how screenings are organized in different European countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, France, Germany and Norway).

University of Melbourne

• Trevor Findlay presented a paper on ‘Small Modular Reactors: Implications for Safety, Security and Safeguards’ at the 9th meeting of the Study Group on Nonproliferation and Disarmament of the Council for Security and Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific (CSCAP), held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from 26-28 July.
• On 3 August he participated in the in-person launch in Singapore of the book Nuclear Governance in the Asia-Pacific edited by Mely Caballero-Anthony and Julius Cesar Trajano, published by Routledge for Nanyang Technological University. He presented a paper based on his chapter ‘Asia-Pacific Regional Nuclear Governance: Fragmented,  Patchy, yet Fixable?’.

University of Texas, Austin; Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Project

• Alan J. Kuperman presented on “Can Albanese Fix AUKUS?” at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University on July 20, 2022, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute on July 18, 2022, and at the Center for International Security Studies, Global Forum, at University of Sydney on July 25, 2022. Watch the presentation.
• On August 5, Kuperman made a statement at the 10^th Review Conference of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty at the UN headquarters in New York. Read the statement.
• On The Project (Australia), Kuperman gave an interview, “Australia’s Deal With France Over New Submarines May Be Back On,” on August 8, 2022. Watch the interview.

Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP)

• A VCDNP delegation participated in the Tenth NPT Review Conference and hosted a side event on peaceful uses. Learn more.
• The NPT, the TPNW and the Future of Arms Control and Disarmament After Ukraine
• On 24 June 2022, the VCDNP and the Toda Peace Institute convened a one-day workshop to discuss the scope for progress in nuclear arms control and disarmament in light of the Russia-Ukraine war. Read the summary.
• VCDNP Senior Fellow Dr. Nikolai Sokov warns of Russian-Western nuclear war in an appearance on NHK Global. Read more.
• VCDNP Senior Fellow Dr. Nikolai Sokov’s new piece in the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists analyses the reasons for and the potential impact of Russia-Belarussian nuclear sharing. Learn more.

Individual Member Updates

• Richard Weitz published “Russia’s War in Ukraine: WMD Issues,” with the International Centre for Defence and Security on July 27, 2022. Read the piece.
• Ali Alkis published “Nuclear Security: A Case Study of Zaporizhzhya” on the Indian Strategic Studies Forum. Read the paper.

Opportunities

• Applications are now open for the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme which provides scholarships to motivated female students pursuing a Master’s program and aims to help increase the number of women in the nuclear field, supporting an inclusive workforce of both men and women who contribute to and drive global scientific and technological innovation. Learn more.
• The Federation of American Scientists has a vacancy for a Research Associate with their Nuclear Information Project. Apply here.
• The Wisconsin Project is hiring a research associate to support their Risk Report database. Learn more.
• The Truman Center for National Policy seeks a nuclear security expert to serve as the Janne Nolan Nuclear Security Visiting Fellow and execute a multi-year grant, as well as to help shape the public narrative around nuclear weapons and diversity within the field of nuclear security. The fellowship duration will be from approximately September 2022-August 2023. The ideal candidate will:
  • Have at least 5-7 years of experience working on nuclear security issues;
  • Possess minimum of a masters in related field;
  • Be a self-starter able to lead the design and execution of program activities;
  • Have relationships with individuals and organizations outside of Washington who may be potential program partners; and
  • Possess strong writing and organizational skills.

Interested candidates should contact Jon Temin, Truman’s Vice President for Policy & Programs, at [email protected].

• SIPRI is hiring a research assistant to join its Armament and Disarmament team, with a focus on weapons of mass destruction. Apply here.
• The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists is seeking a Social Media coordinator to join their team. Learn more.
• Third Way is hiring a Senior Policy Advisor for Nuclear Exports. Read the vacancy.