Nuclear Security News and Member Updates Roundup, March 2024

Dear Friends,

March 5^th marked the second International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness, an event that is certainly to be welcomed and engaged with as the world continues to slide into ever more dangerous territory. With key arms control treaties gone or under threat and non-proliferation norms being challenged in a variety of ways, creative ways to promote stronger security policies and practices are much needed. South Africa’s formal acceptance late last month of the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) to the IAEA was another boost to international regimes.

Wishing all a productive and constructive month ahead.

Christina

Director, International Nuclear Security Forum

Join the conversation on Twitter: @INS_Forum

Updates

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Nuclear Security News

Impact: The Russian Invasion of Ukraine

• IAEA Call for ‘Maximum Restraint’ As Explosions Rock Ukraine Nuclear Plant: “In his latest update on the situation at the Zaporizhia NPP (ZNPP), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said powerful explosions had shaken windows at the site, ‘underlining the urgent need for maximum military restraint to reduce the danger of a nuclear accident as the conflict enters its third year’. IAEA experts stationed at ZNPP reported hearing explosions every day over the week, including one that appeared to occur close to the plant itself. There were also several explosions, one of which was unusually loud, indicating very close proximity to the site. IAEA said it was not possible to conclusively determine the origin or direction of the blasts, with the exception of the loud explosion, which according to the ZNPP was part of ‘field training’ with no shelling of the plant nor any damage to it. There were no physical injuries or casualties, the plant added. ZNPP separately informed the IAEA team that a mine had exploded outside the site perimeter without causing damage or injury…‘I remain deeply concerned about the nuclear safety and security situation at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, located on the frontline of the war. The reports of our experts indicate possible combat action not far away from the site. Once again, I call on all parties to strictly observe the five concrete principles for the protection of the plant and avoid any attack or military activity that could threaten nuclear safety and security there,’ Grossi said.”
• No Safety Issue from Barred Staff at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant, Says IAEA Chief: “U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said on [March 12] there is no direct safety issue from Ukrainian staff being barred from accessing the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which Ukraine has called a ‘grave concern’. ‘The situation is not sustainable in the long term. At the same time, in the present configuration in shutdown, the staff that is there can do the job,’ International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Grossi said in an interview with Reuters. He responded: ‘Not directly’ when asked whether there were any safety issues arising from the staff who are banned from the plant. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, formerly controlled by Ukrainian state-owned company Energoatom, was seized by Russian forces during its invasion of Ukraine two years ago and continues to be on the frontline of the war. Last week, the IAEA’s Board of Governors voted to demand Russia withdraw from the plant and that it be returned to the control of Ukrainian authorities. Although some Ukrainian staff currently work alongside Russians to operate the plant, some Ukrainians have been barred from the plant for refusing to sign new Russian contracts. Grossi has put the number of holdouts at around 100. Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko has said that was ‘another Russian lie’ and the real number was 380, adding that the lack of staffing meant the situation was ‘moving to (a) nuclear accident’. ‘This is a matter of a bit of subjectivity,’ Grossi said on [March 12] when explaining the discrepancy of the numbers. The comments came after Grossi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on [March 6] to discuss the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, among other issues. Grossi said Putin confirmed his cooperation in ensuring the safety of the plant during their talks. The IAEA gave a technical assessment of the current situation at the Zaporizhzhia plant and discussed potential future plans for restarting it given its current condition, Grossi said, without elaborating on further details.”
• Update 216 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine: “Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has regained access to its only remaining back-up power line, following an outage of more than three weeks that once again underlined persistent nuclear safety and security risks facing the site, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said [on March 15]. The ZNPP’s connection to the 330 kilovolt (kV) off-site power line was restored shortly after 6pm local time on [March 14], providing a much-needed buffer for the plant which has suffered eight complete loss of external power events over the past year and a half. The 330 kV line was lost on 20 February due to an incident on the other side of the Dnipro River, leaving the ZNPP entirely dependent on its only 750 kV line. Before the conflict, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant (NPP) had a total of ten power lines available, four 750 kV and six 330 kV lines. ‘Last evening’s positive development should not hide the fact that the power situation at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant continues to be extremely fragile and vulnerable to further disruptions. I remain deeply concerned about the nuclear safety and security situation at this major nuclear facility,’ Director General Grossi said…The IAEA experts also observed simulator training of operating staff in the training center, where they held discussions with the ZNPP training center and Rostekhnadzor, the nuclear safety regulatory body of the Russian Federation, about the process that staff must follow to obtain their operating ‘authorizations’. The IAEA experts were informed that staff are being trained considering the present situation at the ZNPP, with all reactor units either in cold or hot shutdown, as well as the current status of the external power lines and cooling water. The ZNPP says it has enough authorized operating staff to maintain the reactor units in their current shutdown states. ‘The staffing situation at the plant remains a vital issue for nuclear safety and security that we will continue to monitor closely,’ Director General Grossi said.”

International Architecture

• South Africa Deposits Instrument of Acceptance of the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material: “At a ceremony held at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) [on February 26], the South African Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Vienna, Ambassador Rapulane Molekane, handed over South Africa’s Instrument of Acceptance of the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) to the IAEA Director-General, Mr. Rafael Grossi. In submitting its Instrument of Acceptance, South Africa joins a growing number of States accepting the Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material…South Africa signed the original Convention in May 1981 and ratified it in September 2007. Accepting the Amendment to the CPPNM signals South Africa’s strong commitment to nuclear security and the protection of nuclear material, while continuing to support broader efforts to promote nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation and the inalienable right of States to develop and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.”
• Sri Lanka, US Sign Nuclear Security Pact: “Sri Lanka and the United States have inked a nuclear security agreement aimed at detecting and intercepting illicit trafficking of special nuclear material and other radioactive substances. This move comes as part of broader efforts to tackle escalating global security risks. The Sri Lankan Navy formalised an MoU with the US National Nuclear Security Administration at the Navy headquarters in Colombo. The MoU was signed in the presence of the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Julie Chung, and the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera. Ambassador Chung expressed on X that the partnership between the United States and Sri Lanka in tackling global security threats continues to strengthen over time. She said that the MoU between the Sri Lanka Navy and the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration will enhance their collaborative endeavours to combat illicit maritime trafficking in nuclear and radioactive material. The MoU outlined bilateral collaboration aimed at detecting and intercepting illicit trafficking in nuclear materials and other radioactive substances.”
• IAEA’s Grossi Holds Talks with President Putin in Sochi: “The Russian President’s media service’s transcript of the opening of the meeting quotes Putin as saying Russia is an ‘undisputed leader’ in terms of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)…The published transcript of the opening remarks quote Grossi as saying ‘it’s very important for me to be here. We first talked in St Petersburg a year and a half ago…it seems to me that everything that has happened since then further demonstrates the timeliness of this conversation. I agree, these are very important times, there are challenges, and we will discuss these challenges’…A Rosatom statement said: ‘During the consultations, a wide range of issues was addressed, including those pertaining to prospective tracks of nuclear energy development in Russia and worldwide. The main emphasis of the talks was placed on the issues relating to ensuring nuclear safety and security of the Zaporizhzhia plant…Alexey Likhachev outlined measures being taken by the Russian side to ensure safe operation…he also touched upon certain aspects of interaction with the IAEA experts at the plant.’”

Weapons, Materials, and Facilities

• IAEA Project Considers Implications of Counterfeit and Fraudulent Items: “The trade in counterfeit, fraudulent and suspect items (CFSI) is believed to have been exacerbated by supply chain interruptions such as those caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), further globalization ‘complicates the supply chain, and diminishes or completely prevents the transparency and traceability of items as they change hands on their way to the final customer…this lack of transparency in production practices or traceability of item integrity allows for the pervasive issue of CFSI infiltration to take place on a grand scale’…A one-year Coordinated Research Project is taking place to ‘identify lessons learned and best practices and develop strategies and tools for the prevention and mitigation of the nuclear security implications of CFSIs within the nuclear supply chain.’ A number of individual projects are taking place as part of the overall research project, which when combined ‘will represent a holistic approach for minimizing the likelihood that CFSI could initiate a nuclear security event.’”

Threats

• Climate Change Could Unearth, Disturb Cold War-Era Nuclear Waste Buried by the US, Officials Say: “The rise in global temperatures that are causing Arctic ice to melt and sea levels to rise could disturb Cold War-era nuclear waste buried by the U.S. decades ago, according to a federal report. Noxious waste buried beneath former nuclear weapons testing sites could be unearthed by 2100 should the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change continue at the current rate, a report published by the U.S. Government Accountability Office last month found…Rising temperatures could cause the spread of the radioactive contamination from these test sites in the coming decades, according to the Government Accountability Office report, which analyzes what is left of the nuclear debris in the Pacific Ocean, Greenland and Spain. In Greenland, chemical pollutants and radioactive liquid left over from a nuclear power plant at Camp Century, a U.S. military research base, were frozen in ice sheets that could melt in the coming decades, according to the report. Denmark has instituted permanent ice sheet monitoring in the region.”

Security Culture

• NNSA Co-Hosts International Symposium on Insider Threat Mitigation in Brussels: “The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and the Belgian Federal Agency on Nuclear Control (FANC) co-hosted the Second International Symposium on Insider Threat Mitigation in Brussels, Belgium March 5-7. The theme of the symposium was ‘Expect the Unexpected: Exploring Multidisciplinary Approaches to Insider Threat Mitigation,’ and it showcased how practitioners, industry, and regulators are advancing the state-of-practice for insider threat mitigation at nuclear and radiological facilities. ‘The challenge of mitigating insider threats is significant but together we are making progress,’ said Jill Hruby, NNSA Administrator and Under Secretary for Nuclear Security…Insiders can pose a threat to nuclear and radiological security because their access, authority, and knowledge grant them opportunities to bypass dedicated nuclear and radiological security elements. ‘This symposium is about bringing together experts from various sectors to share experiences, to learn from each other, and above all to connect and create longstanding alliances,’ said Annelies Verlinden, Belgian Minister of the Interior, Institutional Reform, and Democratic Renewal. ‘Against insider threats, the power of collaboration forms the network of our defense.’”
• IAEA Completes International Physical Protection Advisory Service Mission in the United States: “An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts…completed an International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS) mission in the United States of America. The IPPAS mission was conducted from 26 February to 8 March 2024 and was hosted by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The nine-person team reviewed the country’s nuclear security regime for nuclear material and nuclear facilities. This included an assessment of the governmental organizations and legislation relevant to physical protection, the regulatory role and processes, procedures and practices for inspection and enforcement and the sustainability of the regime. The team also made a comprehensive review of physical protection systems at a nuclear facility. As part of the review, the team visited the Sandia Pulsed Reactor Facility – Critical Experiments (SPRF/CX) at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico in the US. This facility performs criticality benchmark experiments and hands-on safety training to support efficient and reliable nuclear operations…At the end of the mission, the team reported that the US has a robust nuclear security regime. The team made recommendations and suggestions aimed at supporting the US to further strengthen its nuclear security procedures and practices. Good practices were identified, which may be used by other IAEA Member States to build long term improvement in global nuclear security.”
• IAEA Mission to Costa Rica Encourages Continued Improvement in Nuclear Security Arrangements: “The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) completed an advisory service mission to Costa Rica to assess the country’s nuclear security regime for nuclear and other radioactive material out of regulatory control (MORC). The team found that several processes and measures for the nuclear security regime in relation to MORC are implemented and encouraged Costa Rica to further enhance national coordination for the implementation of nuclear security measures for MORC. It was the first such mission to the country. The mission, carried out at the request of the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) of the Republic of Costa Rica and in close coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship (MOFA) took place from 4 to 15 March. Seven experts from Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Spain, the United States of America and the IAEA participated in this mission…. ‘Costa Rica is in the process of establishing a framework to regulate and respond to events related to MORC’, said Team Leader Carlos Nogueira from Brazil. ‘We appreciate the high level of cooperation throughout the mission and hope that the mission’s recommendations and suggestions will assist the country to strengthen its nuclear security systems and measures for MORC.’ The team said that Costa Rica is on track to achieve tangible results in establishing a nuclear security regime for MORC. Still, it recommended the country to further work on the national response system for criminal or intentional unauthorized acts involving MORC, and to introduce relevant offences and appropriate penalties in its national legal framework. Further recommendations addressed aspects of coordination among competent authorities, especially with regard to the definition of different roles and responsibilities.”
• Nuclear Terrorism Prevention: DHS Has Strengthened the Securing the Cities Program, but Actions Are Needed to Address Key Remaining Challenges: “The Department of Homeland Security’s Securing the Cities program is trying to reduce the risk of terrorist attacks in high-risk urban areas. This program helps state and local agencies in 13 regions detect radiological and nuclear materials that could be used in such attacks—such as by funding the purchase of wearable radiation detectors for police officers. The agency regularly meets with the regions to check in and help address specific issues with this program. However, the agency hasn’t clearly communicated to the regions how it plans to measure performance and progress…GAO is making five recommendations, including that CWMD clearly communicate performance expectations to STC regions, collect quality information from the regions, and ensure regions’ timely progress through program phases and toward achieving program goals. DHS concurred with the recommendations.”

Emerging Technology

• Drones, Robotic Tech Pose Threat to US Nuclear Security, General Says: “The ballooning use of unmanned technologies including drones has consequences for the U.S. nuclear stockpile and associated infrastructure, according to the leader of Strategic Command. Militaries and extremist groups around the world are deploying drones and other robotic technology to collect intelligence, aid targeting and even attack from relative safety…The proliferation of sophisticated uncrewed systems ‘poses a challenge to the department and our nation’s nuclear enterprise,’ Air Force Gen. Anthony Cotton said in his 2024 Strategic Posture Statement, which was sent to Congress on Feb. 29. The matter is further complicated by an ‘accelerating technological race with our adversaries,’ namely Russia and China, he said…So-called ‘no drone zones’ were established years ago at military bases and nuclear weapons sites, including where parts are made and maintained. A provision in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act empowered the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration to protect its facilities from drones considered hazardous to safety or security. The zones cover sensitive compounds such as Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, where nuclear-weapon cores known as pits are expected to be manufactured; the Y-12 National Security Complex in Tennessee, where uranium-processing facilities are being built; and the Nevada National Security Site, where subcritical experiments and nonproliferation research are conducted.”

Member Organization Announcements and Updates

International Institute for Strategic Studies

• William Alberque published an analysis titled “Russia’s Nuclear-capable Missiles: A Question of Escalation Control” on March 1 that examines how aspects of Moscow’s military strategy in Ukraine, including its deployment of dual-use missile systems, have offered some potential insights into its nuclear-weapons doctrine. Read more here.
• Timothy Wright published a Military Balance Blog post titled “Dutch Target Long-Range Strike Upgrades that Expose European Shortfalls” on February 23. The post discusses The Netherlands plans to strengthen its long-range strike capabilities and how it will allow the country to punch above its weight compared with most of its European NATO allies. Read more here.
• Zuzanna Gwadera published a Missile Dialogue Initiative piece titled “Russia Rejects US Call for Arms-Control Talks” on February 14. The piece argues that Moscow’s linking of future arms-control negotiations with the United States to Washington withdrawing support for Ukraine suggests that a follow on to New START is extremely unlikely. Read more here.

Odesa Center for Nonproliferation

• Ali Alkis presented “Nuclear Security After the Russian Invasion of Ukraine” on the 26th of February during the 2024 Virtual Winter Conference organized by the Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Read more here. 
• Ali Alkis gave a speech about the need to rethink nuclear security on March 7th during the 2nd International Symposium on Insider Threat Mitigation, organized by NNSA and FANC. Read more here.
• Ali Alkis participated in the 17th Global Dialogue on Nuclear Security Priorities between 12-14 March, organized by the NTI. Read more here.

Union of Concerned Scientists

• Edwin Lyman published a statement titled “High-Level Nuclear Energy Summit Fails to Address Safety, Security Concerns” on March 19 regarding the IAEA’s Nuclear Energy Summit. Read more here.

Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation

• Dr. Sarah Case Lackner published a Governing the Atom Brief titled “The International Conference on Nuclear Security (ICONS): An Explainer” on March 15. Read more.
• On 14 March 2024, the VCDNP hosted a hybrid panel to discuss the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources and its supplementary Guidance in the context of access to and expansion of the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology. In addition to highlighting the benefits, the panelists shared their experiences on implementation and discussed the universalization of the Code of Conduct. Read more.

World Institute for Nuclear Security

• WINS hosted an interactive virtual workshop titled “The Central Role of Nuclear Operators in Implementing the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) and its Amendment” from March 12 – 14. The event featured various speakers and focused on the link between nuclear operators and the CPPNM and ACPPNM. It explored how operators’ experiences can be conveyed to the international community of practitioners and how this experience could be used to enhance both the instrument and collective support for it. Read more here.

Individual Member Updates

• Trevor Findlay presented a paper at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) Global Dialogue meeting in Vienna on 13 March on “Integrating Nuclear Security into the Broader Non-Proliferation Regime: Need, Feasibility and Potential Risks”. He also conducted interviews at the International Atomic Energy Agency for a study for NTI on the IAEA’s resource needs to 2050 as a result of the projected increase in the use of nuclear energy to tackle climate change.

Opportunities

• The Partnership for Global Security is seeking candidates for the Della Ratta Global Energy and Security Fellowship. This is a position that crosscuts a number of traditional disciplines. It is a unique opportunity for an early career candidate with an interest in addressing the intersection of new global realities and emerging technology and geopolitical issues. The Fellow will conduct policy research on issues at the intersection of nuclear energy and commerce, climate change, and global security. The fellow will contribute to the work of an internationally recognized non-governmental organization with an ambitious, forward-looking agenda. Read more.
• WINS is hosting the second webinar Competency Framework Development in the ASEAN Region on April 17. Participants can expect to explore the competency development process, with a focus on preparatory measures for adopting a framework within an organization, break down essential elements within the competency framework and understand their role in supporting and conducting performance assessments, gain insights from subject matter experts who have successfully applied this methodology in their organizations, hear perspectives from experts in the ASEAN region actively implementing this approach, and engage in interactive discussions and pose questions throughout the webinar. Read more.
• Parsons Corporation is seeking a Project Manager for their Global Nuclear Security Projects portfolio – a U.S. Government contract. The Project Manager will provide direction and management for small to medium-sized international nuclear security projects. The projects work with nuclear material security, including efforts to ensure the secure storage and transportation of nuclear warheads, weapons-usable nuclear material, and high-threat radiological material. 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 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.