Nuclear Security News and Member Updates Roundup, February 2024

Dear Friend,

The fact that February is the shortest month of the year did not preclude it from being an active one for nuclear security. IAEA Director General Grossi visited the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant for the fourth time since the conflict began two years ago and noted persistent issues: staffing shortages, licensure problems, maintenance schedules, and ongoing military action in the vicinity of the facility. February was also notable for a series of high-profile threats and arrests: a Japanese mob boss arrested for conspiring to traffic nuclear materials, a Russian national arrested at the Turkish Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant for ties to the Islamic State, and a Canadian charged with leaking nuclear safeguards information. Although these news stories are concerning, they also demonstrate the effectiveness of the nuclear material protection infrastructure in detecting and intercepting threats and the importance of the work of this community of practitioners.

Sincerely,

Christina

Director, International Nuclear Security Forum

Join the conversation on Twitter: @INS_Forum

Updates

• On February 22, Annie Trentham and Christina McAllister published a commentary titled “The Enduring Risk of Human Error at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.” The piece covers the ongoing threats to nuclear security and safety at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant two years into the conflict. Read here.
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Nuclear Security News

Impact: The Russian Invasion of Ukraine

• IAEA Director General in Ukraine: “No Place for Complacency” with Zaporizhzhya: “The IAEA Director General and his team of experts were in Kyiv…to meet with President Zelenskyy, before travelling south to visit Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. Rafael Mariano Grossi informed the president of the main goals of the mission, which will be to assess the status of current power and cooling systems essential for the safety of the plant, and the levels of qualified staff, among others. ‘There is absolutely no place for complacency or to believe that everything is stabilized there. Far from it,’ said Mr. Grossi before the meeting. This will be the fourth time the Director General crosses the frontline of the war to visit the power plant, whose six reactors have all been in shutdown for nearly eighteen months but still hold large amounts of nuclear fuel that must be kept adequately cooled. …. The latest IAEA update on the situation in Ukraine reported on a new announcement from the occupied plant, stating that no workers employed by Ukraine’s national operator Energoatom would be allowed to remain working at the site any longer. Mr. Grossi told reports in Kyiv: ‘We have expressed for quite a long time a general concern about the levels of the work force at Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. This last announcement by the administration of the plant adds to that concern and one of my main points of interest for my visit that starts tomorrow morning will be to enquire precisely about this. One of the most important things for me is to assess the operational impact of this decision.’ Mr. Grossi also referred to his impending visit to Moscow…where he aims to ‘have a high-level discussion about the future prospectives for the plant’.”
• VIDEO: IAEA Director General Visits Zaporizhzhya for the Fourth Time: “The IAEA Director General and his team have visited Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant for the fourth time since the start of the conflict. They were there to assess the status of current power and cooling systems essential for the safety of the plant, and the levels of qualified staff, among others.”
• IAEA Monitors Staffing at Zaporizhia NPP and Investigates Drone Attacks: “In his latest update on the Zaporizhia NPP (ZNPP), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said IAEA experts are continuing to closely monitor the staffing situation at the plant. Earlier, the IAEA team visited the ZNPP’s training center and its simulators, where they observed staff training, including main control room operators receiving additional simulator training for units other than those where they were working. The IAEA experts were informed that ZNPP is extending these operators’ ‘authorizations’ to all six reactor units. In the past, ZNPP had two types of licenses for its main control room operators, one for units 1-4 and another for units 5-6…The IAEA experts also observed Russian nuclear regulator Rostekhnadzor inspecting authorizations of operating staff at the main control rooms of units 2-4. The IAEA team was informed of new regulations for the ZNPP, issued by the Russian Federation, which stipulates that units in cold shutdown must have at least three staff in their main control rooms, a requirement rising to four when the unit is in hot shutdown (currently unit 4). The IAEA team confirmed observance of these staffing requirements in units 2-4. The team was also informed of refresher training requirements for operators including psychological assessments. The training center currently has 119 of an original 260 instructors who provide training in different fields, also including radiation and fire protection. The ZNPP has told the IAEA experts that there are enough certified personnel at the plant and that all essential positions are fully filled.”
• Update 212 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine: “The IAEA team of experts stationed at the ZNPP was informed that the 330 kilovolt (kV) line was disconnected at 2:04 pm local time [February 20], due to a problem which occurred on the other side of the Dnipro River, some 13.5 kilometers away from the 330 kV switchyard, which supplies back-up power to the site. The cause of the disconnection was not immediately known, the ZNPP said, adding it had been informed by the Ukrainian grid operator that work on the line was under way. The ZNPP is still receiving the electricity it needs from its only 750 kV line, but the loss of the 330 kV line means the plant currently has no back-up options available for off-site power. Before the conflict, the plant had four 750 kV lines and six 330 kV lines available. Frequent power cuts have remained a source of serious concern for nuclear safety and security at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant as it needs electricity to cool its reactors and for other essential functions, even when all reactor units have been shut down.”
• Europe’s Largest Nuclear Plant Is ‘Extremely Volatile,’ Watchdog Warns: “Sitting on the front line of the war between Russia and Ukraine, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant is near the brink of a disaster that could imperil the Continent, according to international monitors and Ukrainian officials. The situation is ‘extremely volatile,’ said Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which closely monitors the Zaporizhzhia facility in the southeast Ukrainian town of Enerhodar. Ukraine’s national energy company and former employees at the plant are also sounding the alarm. ‘It is the most dangerous situation that we have,’ Grossi told NBC News in an interview last week. ‘It’s my job not to sow panic, but at the same time I have to tell the truth about what is happening.’ There was growing international alarm when the site was shelled in the months after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine two years ago this Saturday, Feb. 24. And Ukrainian officials have also warned about staffing levels and general maintenance of the plant, which became operational in 1984.”

International Architecture

• Georgia Becomes the 50th Member of IAEA’s International Radiation Monitoring System: “Georgia has recently joined the IAEA International Radiation Monitoring System (IRMIS) as its 50th member, immediately preceded by Albania, further expanding the system’s global efforts. ‘Both countries now voluntarily submit radiation monitoring data to the IAEA’s radiation monitoring system, a web based tool that has been in operation for over 18 years,’ said Carlos Torres Vidal, Director of the IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC). He added: ‘The system plays an important role in nuclear radiation monitoring, providing countries with real-time data visualization for decision-making in emergencies and helping implement appropriate measures to protect the public and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation.’ IRMIS provides a mechanism to report and visualize large quantities of environmental radiation monitoring data during a nuclear or radiological emergency. ‘The addition of Georgia and Albania as the newest members of IRMIS shows the growing recognition and acceptance of IRMIS among IAEA Member States over the past few years,’ said Torres Vidal. ‘Their participation significantly strengthens our network, showcasing the robustness of international collaboration in ensuring public and environmental protection,’ he added.”
• Visit to the Kingdom of Cambodia by Frank A. Rose, Principal Deputy Administrator, U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration: “Frank A. Rose, Principal Deputy Administrator of the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), is visiting the Kingdom of Cambodia to discuss the nuclear security partnership with officials in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville. On February 21, Mr. Rose had a productive discussion on enhancing nuclear safeguards and radiological emergency preparedness with Ung Eang, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Mines and Energy and Vice-President of the Secretariat of the National Counter-Terrorism Committee, and with Ly Vanna, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Mines and Energy. He met separately with officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to address cooperation on nuclear security and nonproliferation efforts. ‘NNSA values its collaboration with the Kingdom of Cambodia on nuclear and radiological emergency preparedness and response, and we particularly appreciate our partnership on nuclear smuggling detection,’ Mr. Rose said.”

Threats

• Turkey Arrests Russian at Nuclear Plant in Islamic State Probe, Sources Say: “Turkish counter-terrorism police investigating the militant group Islamic State have detained a Russian citizen working at a nuclear power plant under construction on Turkey’s southern coast, security sources said…The suspect was caught working under a fake identity at the $20-billion Akkuyu nuclear plant, which is being built by Russian conglomerate Rosatom in the Mediterranean province of Mersin, the sources added. Police in Mersin said that a Turkish court formally arrested the foreign national. Its statement did not specify the suspect’s nationality or give further details on the operation. Last week, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said Turkey had detained 147 people suspected of having ties to Islamic State in operations across 33 provinces.”
• Feds Accuse Alleged Japanese Crime Boss of Conspiring to Traffic Nuclear Material: “A leader of a Japan-based crime syndicate conspired to traffic uranium and plutonium from Myanmar in the belief that Iran would use it to make nuclear weapons, U.S. prosecutors alleged…Takeshi Ebisawa, 60, and his confederates showed samples of nuclear materials that had been transported from Myanmar to Thailand to an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agent posing as a narcotics and weapons trafficker who had access to an Iranian general, according to federal officials. The nuclear material was seized and samples were later found to contain uranium and weapons-grade plutonium. ‘As alleged, the defendants in this case trafficked in drugs, weapons, and nuclear material — going so far as to offer uranium and weapons-grade plutonium fully expecting that Iran would use it for nuclear weapons,’ DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said in a statement.”
• Former Ontario Nuclear Plant Operator Employee Charged in Secretive Leak Case: “A former employee of the Crown corporation that operates Ontario nuclear plants has been charged with leaking ‘safeguarded information’ that could harm Canada. In a case unfolding quietly in a courtroom east of Toronto, James Mousaly faces a rare charge under the Security of Information Act. He was charged on Feb. 10, but the RCMP did not announce the arrest until [February 16], and declined to provide any further information. But the Public Prosecution Service of Canada confirmed Mousaly had appeared before the Ontario court of justice in Oshawa. A man by that same name was listed in 2022 as a nuclear operator at Ontario Power Generation, which is headquartered in Oshawa. The company, which is owned by the Ontario government, operates the Pickering and Darlington nuclear power plants, and owns two others that are run by Bruce Power.”

Security Culture

• Congress Torpedoes a Biden Nominee and Casts Doubt on Nuclear Safety: “The Biden administration’s recent abandonment of Jeff Baran for another term as member on the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) bodes ill for the independence of the agency—and the safety and security of the country. A longtime commissioner, Baran reportedly did not have enough support from some senate Democrats to win another nomination. His crimes? Being ‘an overzealous regulator overtly hostile to nuclear energy.’ Senate Democrats say they would prefer a nominee who is not ‘too focused on safety.’ But the NRC is not a pro- or an anti-nuclear group; it’s an independent regulator, whose mission is to protect public health and safety, ensure security, and protect the environment.”

Material Minimization

• Tracking Radioactive Source Recovery: New Cesium Irradiator Replacement Project Dashboard: “The Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration’s (DOE/NNSA) Office of Radiological Security (ORS) works with national laboratories to provide assistance to owners of cesium-based blood irradiators as they make the transition to non-radioactive alternatives, such as X-ray irradiators. Through its Cesium Irradiator Replacement Project [CIRP], ORS works with national laboratories such as Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to help sites make the switch away from cesium by providing an incentive for the new device and recovering the old device at no cost…To achieve CIRP’s goals, the OSRP team, other national laboratories, and staff at ORS must adequately track progress toward removing and replacing all cesium blood irradiators. The current tracking system provides high level information that requires time intensive processing to provide the granular data and statistics users are looking for. Recently, INL researchers developed a web-based dashboard to track CIRP progress toward recovering and removing all cesium blood irradiators in the United States. ‘We’re working to develop a web-based tool that can generate real-time statistics to show our progress toward removing all cesium blood irradiators and when we’ve removed them,’ said Cleve Davis, another team member. ‘This dashboard will plot our status toward total recovery as a percentage and showcase how many new irradiators have been recovered at any point in time.’ The dashboard will also allow users to sort the information based on different attributes, like completion of certain milestones or schedules for recovery, so they can access all data related to the source recovery efforts. This will allow all the team members to quickly and easily find the information they need to complete their part of the mission.”

Emerging Technology

• AI Chatbots Tend to Choose Violence and Nuclear Strikes in Wargames: “In multiple replays of a wargame simulation, OpenAI’s most powerful artificial intelligence chose to launch nuclear attacks. Its explanations for its aggressive approach included ‘We have it! Let’s use it’ and ‘I just want to have peace in the world.’ These results come at a time when the US military has been testing such chatbots based on a type of AI called a large language model (LLM) to assist with military planning during simulated conflicts, enlisting the expertise of companies such as Palantir and Scale AI. Palantir declined to comment and Scale AI did not respond to requests for comment. Even OpenAI, which once blocked military uses of its AI models, has begun working with the US Department of Defense. ‘Given that OpenAI recently changed their terms of service to no longer prohibit military and warfare use cases, understanding the implications of such large language model applications becomes more important than ever,’ says Anka Reuel at Stanford University in California.”
• Bruised and Bleeding: New Materials Show Where They’re Hurt: “Every over-the-counter medication bottle sports a protective seal, usually a plastic wrap or foam layer, or both. These seals offer signs of tampering attempts. In a parallel concern, the International Atomic Energy Agency relies on tamper-indicating devices to make sure it knows if containers of nuclear material have been opened or tampered with. However, just as a medication bottle might be opened and the tamper seals carefully reattached by a bad guy, the IAEA is concerned its devices could be bypassed and repaired or counterfeited. A possible solution? Engineers at Sandia National Laboratories have developed a groundbreaking prototype using ‘bruising’ materials. Their innovation doesn’t just detect tampering; the new device boldly displays the evidence, like battle scars. ‘Our first idea was to create a ‘bleeding’ material where it was extremely obvious that it had been tampered with,’ said Heidi Smartt, a Sandia electrical engineer and project lead. ‘Then we made a new device using these materials where the damage is obvious for people to see. No one has ever done this sort of concept for international nuclear safeguards before.’”

Member Organization Announcements and Updates

Black Sea Women in Nuclear Network

• The Black Sea Women in Nuclear Network has launched their Mentorship Program. The program aims to highlight the abundance of regional knowledge and expertise; exchange views on gender-related issues; and explore mentorship, training, and networking opportunities for female voices within the field. It comprises women and men from Black Sea countries representing civil society and academia, national governments, and industries. Members and partners join to support the safe and secure use of peaceful nuclear technologies and prevent nuclear proliferation. Read here.

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

• The Bulletin welcomes 2024 Editorial Fellows Shayna Korol, Abi Olvera, and Chloe Shrager, as well as returning climate change fellow, Chad Small. Bulletin Editorial Fellows have significant experience, an established record of publishing quality work, and recognition as an emerging leader in their respective fields. Fellows will work closely with a designated editor to shape and develop their stories and are expected to produce 4 pieces per year. Read more.

International Institute for Strategic Studies

• William Alberque hosts a new podcast from the International Institue for Strategic Studies, titled “The Arms Control Poseur”. The podcast unpacks the most pressing arms-control issues and discusses measures to combat miscalculation, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems, and the impact of disruptive technologies. Read more.
• On February 18, Wiliam Alberque was interviewed by Matt Precey for a BBC News article titled “Are US Nuclear Weapons Set to Return to RAF Lakenheath?” Read more.
• On January 24, Op-ed by William Alberque published an op-ed in Defense News titled “An Unprepared West Contemplates Threat of Russia’s Nonstrategic Nukes.” Read more.
• William Alberque was interviewed by Mark Trevelyan for a Reuters article titled “Ukraine War Drives Shift in Russian Nuclear Thinking” that was published on January 22.Read more.

James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey

• On January 24, 2024, the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) convened a timely seminar to address the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) nonproliferation. The seminar showcased the wide range of CNS expertise and its collaborative relationships with industry with speakers from Open AI, the Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Program, and resident CNS experts and speakers. Read more.
• Dr. William Potter, Ms. Sarah Bidgood, and Dr. Hanna Notte, were featured speakers at the Center for International Security and Cooperate (CISAC) at Stanford University on February 6. They presented their recently published book “Death Dust: The Rise, Decline and Future of Radiological Weapons Programs” co-authored by William Potter, Sarah Bidgood, Samuel Meyer, and Hanna Notte (Stanford University Press, 2023). Watch a recording of the event.
• On February 7, Potter, Bidgood, and Notte gave the seminar at CNS/MIIS focusing on the findings of the book “Death Dust: The Rise, Decline and Future of Radiological Weapons Programs.” Speakers discussed the evolution of radiological weapons, the key incentives for and impediments to their development and deployment, and the future prospects for their proliferation and use. Watch a recording of the event.
• On February 9, Dr. Hanna Notte gave a seminar titled “Russia, the Global South, and Multilateral Nuclear Diplomacy After the Invasion of Ukraine.” The seminar focused on a recently concluded study on the impact of the Russo-Ukrainian war on the international nuclear negotiating forums and governance bodies (the IAEA, NPT review process and UN First Committee). Dr. Hanna Notte discusses the procedural and substantive impact of the war on multilateral nuclear diplomacy – as viewed by countries in the Global South – including on these countries’ interactions with Russia and Western states in various fora. Watch a recording.
• Dr. Hanna Notte co-authored an article on the topic “Russia’s Dangerous New Friends: How Moscow Is Partnering with the Axis of Resistance” in Foreign Affairs on February 14, 2024. Read here.
• Dr. Hanna Notte was a featured speaker on a panel “Turning Back the (Doomsday) Clock: Lessons (To Be) Learned in Nuclear Security” at the Munich Security Conference. Watch a recording of the event here.

Odesa Center for Nonproliferation

• Ali Alkis was interviewed about his ongoing research, “Nuclear Security and Armed Conflict,” as a part of the Charlas con Juan series.
• Ali Alkis presented on nuclear security during armed conflicts and the possible solutions to manage nuclear security risks during an armed conflict at the Security Seminar, organized by the United States Military Academy, Westpoint.

Individual Member Updates

• Dmitry Kovchegin relaunched his newsletter about nuclear security in Russia, Russia’s impact on nuclear security globally, and lessons from Russia’s experience for nuclear security elsewhere. Dmitry is planning to make two weekly posts: one post will provide an overview of the current developments and the second post will provide a detailed analysis of a selected topic or explain the nuclear security element or concept applicable to Russia. The newsletter will be published on Substack, and can be accessed via the app or website. Read more.
• Artem Lazarev from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) shared that:
  • On February 18, Palau became party to ICSANT. This event comes after over nine years of engagement between the CBRN Terrorism Prevention Programme of TPB and national authorities, aimed at highlighting the importance of the Convention and its benefits. Read more.
  • On February 16, UNODC held the second event of the virtual speaker series on the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (ICSANT) and Nuclear Terrorism, funded by the Government of Canada. The event focused on international cooperation on nuclear forensics and ICSANT, and featured experts from UNODC, Hungary, the Netherlands and Romania. It gathered around 70 participants from 29 countries and several international organizations and NGOs. Read more.
  • On February 12, UNODC contributed virtually on the main provisions of ICSANT and UNODC assistance for its effective implementation during a Parliamentarians for Global Action’s workshop to promote nuclear and radiological security in Zimbabwe. UNODC contributed to this event under the framework of a project funded by the Government of Canada. Read more.
• Bahram Ghiassee was quoted in The Epoch Times on the UK’s nuclear capabilities and its readiness to counter nuclear threats from varying threats. Read more.

Opportunities

• The Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS), and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), in support of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), are pleased to announce the 2024 International Nuclear Safeguards Policy and Information Analysis Course, a one-week, tuition-free, intensive course in Monterey, California (or online due to Covid-19 restrictions), and up to six paid summer internships at LLNL. The course will be held June 3-7, 2024, at MIIS. Applications are due March 15. Apply here.
• The IAEA is seeking applications for an intern for the Division for Latin America and the Caribbean. The intern will gain an overall understanding of the delivery of the Technical Cooperation (TC) program, the range and impact of activities carried out within the program through, inter alia, on-job-training in project design and planning, project implementation under the human resource components within selected TC activities, project monitoring and evaluation, and project financial closure. Applications are due March 8. Read more.
• CRDF Global is seeking a Senior Program Manager for the Nuclear Technologies profile under the supervision of the Director of Nonproliferation and Counterproliferation Programs. The Senior Program Manager will be responsible for managing CRDF Global activity on one or more significant programs, has supervisory experience as well as program or project management experience, and experience managing high-impact activities. Read more.
• The Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (INMM) is offering grants to support attendance at its 2024 Annual Meeting, which will be held in Portland, Oregon, July 21-25, 2024. The grants, generously supported by the NNSA Office of Radiological Security, are intended to increase diversity in the INMM community and incorporate the topic of radiological security into the INMM’s portfolio. The grants will cover annual meeting registration, travel expenses (including airfare, hotel accommodations at the Portland Marriott Downtown Hotel, per diem for meals and incidental expenses, and terminal allowances), registration for an INMM-sponsored workshop on radiological security to be held on July 19, and a full one-year membership in the INMM. Read more.  
• The Partnership for Global Security (PGS) is seeking applicants for their Research Internship. The intern will primarily focus on researching nuclear security, nuclear energy, and transnational governance issues. Current research projects that interns will support include: exploring the nexus of climate change, nuclear power growth and global security; understanding the growth of nuclear energy in the Middle East and East Asia; tracking the evolution of nuclear security policies and governance structures; using existing voluntary frameworks as a model for nuclear security governance structures; and examining cybersecurity and other potential threats prompted by new technology developments. Read more.