In Chernobyl’s Delicate Nuclear Labs, Russians Looted Safety Systems
Max Bearak and Serhiy Morgunov | Washington Post
Six hundred ninety-eight computers. 344 vehicles. 1,500 radiation dosimeters. Irreplaceable software. Almost every piece of firefighting equipment. The list of what Russia’s occupying forces stole, blew up or riddled with bullets in and around Chernobyl’s laboratories is still being compiled. While the catastrophe that many feared has been avoided — war unleashing radiation across the region from the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster in 1986 — officials at the Chernobyl plant are taking stock of Russia’s capricious and chaotic month here, in which nine of their colleagues were killed and five were kidnapped.
Iran Is Still Haunted by Dealings With Infamous Nuclear Smuggler
Jonathan Tirone | Bloomberg
The world’s most infamous nuclear smuggler is still haunting Iran, with diplomats weighing whether to censure the nation over mysterious uranium particles discovered by international investigators at an undeclared site. Some of those particles date back to Iran’s dealings with Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of Pakistan’s atomic weapons program, who died in October, according to diplomats and former officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency. Khan began smuggling sensitive nuclear technologies out of Europe almost a half century ago, supplying Iran, North Korea and Libya with centrifuge designs and components.
China Signals It Won’t Support New Sanctions if North Korea Tests Nuclear Weapon
Chaewon Chung | NK News
The U.S. should take “visible measures” to further dialogue with North Korea like working to remove sanctions rather than just “paying lip service” to engagement, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Wednesday. In a press briefing, Zhao Lijian also implied that Beijing will not support new sanctions even if Pyongyang tests a nuclear weapon, a day after a top U.S. diplomat said Washington will pursue new U.N. sanctions in case of an expected underground nuclear test. “Under current circumstances, ramping up sanctions won’t help solve the problem,” Zhao said in response to a question about whether China would support U.S. actions at the U.N. Security Council (UNSC).
EDF Rules Out Keeping Nuclear Plant Open Despite Energy Crisis
Rachel Morison and Jess Shankleman | Bloomberg
Electricite de France SA said it won’t extend the lifespan of one of its nuclear power plants even as the UK government seeks solutions to cope with an energy crunch that’s sent power and gas bills to record levels. The French utility said it will shut down its Hinkley Point B station in the west of England this summer as planned, according to an emailed statement. That’s despite having previously said it would consider keeping it open throughout the winter if asked to do so by the British government. Ministers have been on the hunt for alternative supplies that can replace gas in power generation as Russia’s war in Ukraine disrupts energy markets. EDF said in the statement that it hasn’t received a request from the UK government, but a person familiar with the matter added the company would only keep the plant open if it was forced to.
New Aussie Defense Chief’s First Priority: Closing 20-Year Sub ‘Gap’
Colin Clark | Breaking Defense
The new Australian defense minister, Richard Marles, says the country must race to fix the submarine “gap” caused in part by the scrapping of the plan to build French attack submarines in favor of an Australian nuclear attack submarine, among other moves by the previous government. “What we saw under the former government was a gap of 20 years open up in terms of capability in relation to our submarines in just 10 years. It’s one of the worst failures of defense procurement that we’ve seen in our nation’s history under the former government,” he told Sky News in an interview on the day he took the oath of office.
President Biden: What America Will and Will Not Do in Ukraine
Joseph R. Biden Jr. | New York Times
The invasion Vladimir Putin thought would last days is now in its fourth month. The Ukrainian people surprised Russia and inspired the world with their sacrifice, grit and battlefield success. The free world and many other nations, led by the United States, rallied to Ukraine’s side with unprecedented military, humanitarian and financial support. As the war goes on, I want to be clear about the aims of the United States in these efforts. America’s goal is straightforward: We want to see a democratic, independent, sovereign and prosperous Ukraine with the means to deter and defend itself against further aggression.