Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire: RIA Novosti

Showing posts with label RIA Novosti. Show all posts

Monday, December 6, 2010

Russia Tests Nuclear-Capable ICBM from GSN Daily News

http://gsn.nti.org/gsn/nw_20101206_4921.php

Russia's military yesterday carried out a successful test launch of a nuclear-capable ICBM, RIA Novosti reported (see GSN, Oct. 28).
Launched from the Astrakhan region of Russia, the RS-12M Topol missile's dummy warhead struck "a conditional target accurately at the landfill of Sary-Shagan in Kazakhstan," said a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry.
The Kremlin first placed the Topol missile into operation 25 years ago. Its maximum range is 6,125 miles, according to the news agency.
The RS-12M is roughly comparable to the U.S. Minuteman ICBM in stature and configuration.
The Russian strategic missile forces are set to receive RS-24 missiles that are thought to be capable of carrying up to six warheads, SMF commander Lt. Gen. Sergei Karakayev said last week. The RS-24 entered into service last year.
In August, the strategic missile forces announced the RS-24 and the one-warhead Topol-M missiles would form the backbone of Russia's land-based nuclear arsenal -- representing at least four-fifths of the organization's total stockpile within six years. Since June, the nuclear force has been operating a minimum of 18 mobile and 50 facility-based Topol-M systems.
The strategic missile forces have 10 ICBM test-launches planned for 2011, double the number conducted this year, Karakayev said (RIA Novosti, Dec. 5).

Friday, November 26, 2010

Russia to start work on space reactors

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/IT-Russia_to_start_work_on_space_reactors-2611105.html

Russia's Energia space corporation is planning to start work next year on standardized space modules with nuclear-powered propulsion systems, RIA Novosti reported. The first launches, with a capacity of 150 to 500 kilowatts, could be made some time in 2020, according to Energia director Vitaly Lopota. Development of megawatt-class nuclear space power systems (MCNSPS) for manned spacecraft is crucial if Russia wants to maintain a competitive edge in the space race, including the exploration of the moon and Mars, said Anatoly Perminov, director of the Federal Space Agency Roscosmos. The project will require funding of some 17 billion roubles ($540 million). Energia earlier said that it is ready to design a space-based nuclear power station with a service life of 10-15 years, to be initially placed on the moon or Mars. It is also working on a concept of a nuclear-powered space tug, which could be used for launching satellites.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Russia, Qatar Sign Memorandum Of Cooperation On Peaceful Nuclear Use

Qatar, which has the third largest natural gas reserves in the world, behind Russia and Iran, moved to develop peaceful nuclear energy in cooperation with other Arab countries in 2006, which was supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Russia_Qatar_Sign_Memorandum_Of_Cooperation_On_Peaceful_Nuclear_Use_999.html Moscow (RIA Novosti) Nov 08, 2010 Russia and Qatar signed on Tuesday a memorandum of cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The document was signed in Moscow by Nikolai Spasski, the deputy director of the Russian state-run nuclear corporation Rosatom, and the Qatari ambassador to Russia, Ahmed Saif Al-Midhadi. The two countries agreed to cooperate in the development of Qatari laws regulating the use of nuclear energy, scientific research, as well as in the construction of nuclear reactors.
The signing of the agreement comes as Moscow is preparing for a three-day visit by Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani due to begin later in the day.
After the signing ceremony, Spasski said the memorandum contained a "roadmap for further moves" in the two countries' nuclear cooperation and is to be followed by an intergovernmental agreement on the issue.
Russia and Qatar already have active energy contracts, including through OPEC and the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).

NATO Defense Shield In Turkey May Threaten Iran, Russia

by Staff Writers Moscow (RIA Novosti) Nov 08, 2010 Possible deployment of the elements of NATO missile defense shield in Turkey is targeted against Iran and may pose a threat to Russia's security, Russian experts said on Saturday. Earlier on Saturday Turkish media said Ankara would agree to deploy a missile-defense system on its territory if its three conditions were accepted.
First, the Turkish authorities insist on building NATO, but not the U.S. missile defense system. Second, the anti-missile shield should be deployed in the all alliance's states-members. And third, Turkey would not allow NATO to turn it into the alliance's frontline state as it was during the Cold War.
"Turkey wants to be equally respected both in the West and in the East...Turkey wants to entrench itself as a key empire of the entire continent," Sergei Demidenko of the Institute of Strategic Studies and Analysis said.
"Geographically Turkey is the closest to Iran, while politically it is one of Iran's enemies," another Russian leading political expert, the head of the Institute of Political Studies, Sergei Markov said. "It is Iran's enemy because Turkey is the ally of the United States...but first of all they both [Turkey and Iran] compete for the leadership in the Islamic world."
The President of the Academy on Geopolitical Affairs, Leonid Ivashov said the ongoing deployment of the anti-missile defense shield in Europe is aimed to "neutralize Russia's nuclear missile potential."
"We do not have other powers, except of the nuclear missile potential, to protect even the single parts of our territories," Ivashov said.
Meanwhile, the Turkish Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, while commenting on Turkey's plans to deploy anti-missile shield said that NATO should exclude any formula that confronts Turkey with a group of countries in its threat definitions and planning.
"We do not want a Cold War zone or psychology around us," Davutoglu added.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Russia denies arms deals with Syria

Russia denies arms deals with Syriahttp://www.spacewar.com/reports/Russia_denies_arms_deals_with_Syria_999.html
Moscow (UPI) Oct 28, 2010 - Media reports claiming Russia will deliver MiG-31 fighter jets and supersonic anti-ship missiles to Syria are false, the head of the Russian arms export agency said. "The contract for deliveries of MiG-31s to Syria exists only in the tall tales of journalists," Anatoly Isaikin, the head of Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, told Russian news agency RIA Novosti. "Rosoboronexpor ... more

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Russia, IAEA to step up cooperation

Russia is ready to boost cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency in ensuring security at nuclear facilities, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Monday.
The number of countries operating nuclear plants will grow to about 30 by 2030, which raises concerns over nuclear energy security, Putin said during a meeting with IAEA head Yukiya Amano in Moscow.
Russia, which has constantly cooperated with the IAEA, especially in developing innovative nuclear reactors, is ready to continue joint work with the agency, Putin said.
"IAEA experts give the highest evaluations to security at our nuclear facilities," he added.
The prime minister praised the appointment of Alexander Bychkov, Russia's representative at the IAEA, as the organization's deputy director general heading the Department of Atomic Energy. Another Russian national, Yury Sokolov, was the department's head before Bychkov took office in September.
During his stay in Russia, Amano met with Sergei Kiriyenko, the head of Russia's state-run nuclear corporation Rosatom and is expected to meet with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday.
MOSCOW, October 25 (RIA Novosti)

Friday, October 22, 2010

Senators Taking Seats in November Could Affect "New START" Vote from GSN Daily News

Several Democratic senators are expected to vacate their seats right after next month's midterm election, enabling their replacements to potentially ensnare an Obama administration bid to win Senate approval of a new nuclear arms control treaty with Russia before other newly elected lawmakers take their seats in January, Foreign Policy reported (see GSN, Oct. 20).
President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in April signed "New START," which requires their nations to each cut deployed strategic nuclear weapons to 1,550 warheads, down from the maximum of 2,200 allowed by 2012 under an earlier agreement. They must both also restrict their active nuclear delivery vehicles to 700, with another 100 platforms allowed in reserve.
The pact is awaiting a ratification vote in the Senate, where the 67 votes required for passage must include at least eight Republicans in this Congress. A significant number of Republicans have expressed reservations over the treaty, and anticipated party gains could raise the number of required GOP supporters to between 16 and 18 in the next Congress if the ratification process dragged into 2011, according to Foreign Policy.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called for a vote during the current Congress's "lame-duck" session between the Nov. 2 election and Christmas; however, lawmakers elected in Delaware, Illinois and West Virgina are set to take seats immediately after next month's vote, making their positions on the treaty key to its ratification prospects.
Democrat Chris Coons, now the leading Senate candidate in Delaware, has not taken a public stance on the arms pact. Republican rival Christine O'Donnell, though, pledged in an e-mail statement to "look very carefully at any treaty before the U.S. Senate."
"There is nothing wrong in principle with reducing nuclear weapons as long as it is verifiable and we ensure that we can meet all of our defense requirements. There are several concerns with New START treaty as it stands before the U.S. Senate right now," O'Donnell wrote in the statement, referring to missile defense language in the pact, Russian efforts to curb Iranian atomic activities and the Obama administration's commitment to refurbishing U.S. nuclear weapons. "Before I could vote in support of New START, each of these concerns would have to be fully addressed," she said.
Representative Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), who showed a slight lead in a recent poll, has not taken a stance on the treaty, according to a statement by his office. Kirk has worked with Democrats in the past on security matters, suggesting he could support the agreement's ratification, according to Foreign Policy. Illinois Democratic Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias in an e-mail said he would endorse the pact.
West Virginia Democrat Joseph Manchin, who polled ahead of his Republican competitor by a thin margin, would consider the positions of "our commanders and generals on the ground" in formulating his position on the treaty, according to a statement by his office. Republican candidate John Raese opposes the treaty, a spokesman said.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) probably would not allow a vote on New START to proceed unless the White House verified 67 senators were in favor of ratification, Foreign Policy reported. Such a vote was one of a number of "possible" items the Senate could take up during the lame-duck period, according to one Senate leadership staffer.
"We're taking nothing for granted and we're addressing every concern and giving every reassurance where we can," an Obama administration official said. "That's where we are" (Josh Rogin, Foreign Policy, Oct. 21).
Meanwhile, Russia yesterday denied allegations that it had negotiated an undisclosed deal with the United States linked to New START, RIA Novosti reported.
"No secret arrangements beyond the limits of what is written in the document and its appendixes exist," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said (RIA Novosti, Oct. 22).
"I can only tell you one thing: everything we had agreed on is fixed in the treaty and in the ample appendixes to this treaty. This is an open document," the Xinhua News Agency quoted him as saying (Xinhua News
http://gsn.nti.org/gsn/nw_20101022_8525.phpAgency, Oct. 21).

Russia, Ukraine, Slovakia sign nuclear fuel transit deal

Russia, Ukraine, Slovakia sign deal on fuel shipments
The governments of Russia, Ukraine and Slovakia have signed a deal to ease the transportation of nuclear fuel through Ukraine, according to Russia's Rosatom. The agreement would also ensure that Slovakian nuclear plants would receive continuous supplies of the material from Russia. RIA Novosti (Russia)http://en.rian.ru/world/20101021/161043820.html

Monday, October 18, 2010

Russian government approves nuclear cooperation deal with Japan

Russia-Japan nuclear agreement moves forward
The Russian government has cleared a nuclear-cooperation agreement with Japan. Under the deal, both countries will exchange expertise in nuclear security and work together in developing light-water reactors and storing nuclear waste. The pact is subject to the approval of the Russian parliament. RIA Novosti (Russia)

Monday, September 27, 2010

Russia to begin 2nd stage of Tianwan nuclear power plant construction next year

Russia to build 2 VVER-1000 reactors at Tianwan plant in China
Russia's Atomstroyexport will begin construction next year of two VVER-1000 reactors at Jiangsu Nuclear Power's Tianwan plant in China, according to Sergei Kiriyenko, head of Russia's state-controlled Rosatom. Russia is expected to secure about $1.75 billion for the Tianwan expansion project. RIA Novosti (Russia)http://en.rian.ru/business/20100927/160731550.html

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Iran Could Soon Join Nuclear Talks, Diplomats Say

Iran has hinted on multiple occasions it was willing to join new negotiations over its nuclear work with the five permanent U.N. Security Council member nations and Germany, making a resumption of talks possible as early as this fall, diplomats representing the six powers said yesterday (see GSN, Sept. 22).
Still, officials noted Iran had rebuffed some past attempts at outreach by Washington and other governments concerned that elements of Tehran's nuclear program could support weapons development, the Los Angeles Times reported. Iran has maintained its atomic aims are exclusively civilian in nature.
"The real proof will be in renewed engagement," a high-level Obama administration official said.
The six negotiating states -- China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States -- would work to ease into comprehensive nuclear talks with Iran by first pursuing "confidence-building" initiatives, in part by attempting to revive a shelved International Atomic Energy Agency proposal that would involve an exchange of Iranian uranium for higher-enriched material, the official said.
Tehran ultimately rejected the plan worked out last year with France, Russia and the United States, referred to in the talks as the "Vienna group." The proposal sought to provide fuel for a medical isotope production reactor in the Iranian capital while deferring the nation's enrichment activities long enough to more fully address U.S. and European concerns about its potential nuclear bomb-making capability.
Adopting an updated version of the plan would be "a way to build confidence and pave the way for tackling the hard issues at the core of Iran's nuclear program," the administration source said (Paul Richter, Los Angeles Times, Sept. 22).
"Let me be clear once more: the United States and the international community seek a resolution to our differences with Iran, and the door remains open to diplomacy should Iran choose to walk through it," President Barack Obama said today, according to Agence France-Presse (Agence France-Presse I/Spacewar.com, Sept. 23).
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki indicated his government's "readiness for negotiations with the Vienna group and the P-5+1," state media reported.
"Talks can succeed provided they are fair and Iran's right to peaceful use of nuclear energy is recognized," he said in a meeting yesterday with his Chinese counterpart, according to AFP (Agence France-Presse II/Spacewar.com, Sept. 23).
U.N. nuclear watchdog Director General Yukiya Amano and Iranian officials in a meeting yesterday discussed options for fueling the Tehran reactor, Iran's Press TV reported. The Iranian team included Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the nation's Atomic Energy Organization, and IAEA envoy Ali Akbar Salehi.
Amano voiced hope following the encounter that Iran and Vienna group members could hold talks in the near future (Press TV, Sept. 22).
Russia today indicated the terms of a potential exchange would be altered by Iran's continued enrichment of uranium, ITAR-Tass reported.
"Over the time passed since the beginning of the development of the fuel replacement scheme Iran continued enrichment," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said. "As many as 2,800 kilograms of low-enriched uranium at the Natanz nuclear center has already been accumulated."
Iran in February began refining low-enriched uranium from its stockpile to 20 percent. Although the move was ostensibly intended to produce isotopes for the medical research reactor, the United States and other Western powers have feared the process could help Iran produce nuclear-weapon material, which has an enrichment level around 90 percent.
"Uranium enrichment up to 20 percent continues, and there is a certain amount of this nuclear substance already," Ryabkov said. "All this cannot but affect the atmosphere of the discussion of the scheme of fuel supply for the [Tehran Research Reactor]" (ITAR-Tass I, Sept. 23).
Ryabkov said new talks should take place as soon as possible between Iran and the Vienna group nations, RIA Novosti reported.
"We are convinced that such a meeting should be held without delay, and a (negotiation) process on a wider range of issues should also be launched simultaneously," he said (RIA Novosti, Sept. 23).
U.S. and Iranian officials held an undisclosed meeting at U.N. headquarters aimed at establishing informal contacts between their governments, Haaretz reported yesterday (Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz, Sept. 22).
The Obama administration dismissed the claim, AFP reported.
"I'm aware of no contacts between U.S. and Iranian officials in New York," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said yesterday. "Our focus right now is on the P-5+1 process" (Agence France-Presse III/Spacewar.com, Sept. 22).

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Russia, NATO Should Fully Analyze Missile Threat To Europe

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Brussels, Belgium (RIA Novosti) Sep 20, 2010 Russia believes that Moscow and NATO should properly assess missile risks before starting on a missile defense plan for Europe, Russia's envoy to the military alliance said on Friday. "We continue to insist that, before discussing what may be meaningful in the framework of the possible European missile shield project and other serious projects, we need to carry out a serious analysis of missile threats," Dmitry Rogozin told RIA Novosti.
"To settle on guilty parties in this issue means to dodge a discussion of more serious issues," Rogozin said.
"It is not only Iran that possesses missiles in Europe's southern 'underbelly,' but other countries as well, so if we are to start this analysis, we should analyze all those who possess this kind of technology."
Iran still poses a threat to Russia and NATO, the alliance's Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said earlier on Friday.
He reiterated calls for the creation of missile defenses in Europe, saying they would bring NATO and Russia closer.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Russia Will Supply Syria With Advanced Missiles

September 20, 2010

Are they Nuts?!

Yakhont Cruise Missile Made by Russia

Russia plans to go ahead with its sale of advance anti-ship rockets, state news agency RIA Novosti quoted Russian Defense Minster Anatoly Serdyukov as saying on Friday, despite recent attempts by U.S. and Israeli officials to thwart the planned deal.
The deal involves the sale of advanced P-800 Yakhont supersonic cruise missiles to the Syrian military, weaponry which Israel considers as capable of posing significant danger to its navy vessels in the Mediterranean Sea.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Russia To Defy US By Selling Anti-Ship Missiles To Syria -- The Telegraph

Image: The P-800 Yakhont supersonic cruise missile. Photo from Haaretz
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/8009335/Russia-to-defy-US-by-selling-anti-ship-missiles-to-Syria.html

Russia To Defy US By Selling Anti-Ship Missiles To Syria -- The Telegraph

Russia is to defy Israel and the United States by supplying Syria with advanced anti-ship missiles despite fears that they could fall into the hands of Hizbollah, the Iranian-backed group based in southern Lebanon.

Anatoly Serdyukov, the Russian foreign minister, brushed aside pleas to halt the delivery of a consignment of P-800 Yakhont cruise missiles, arguing that Moscow had supplied Syria with an older version of the missile and had not encountered problems.

"The US and Israel ask us not to supply Syria with Yakhont," he told reporters during a confidence-building visit to the Pentagon. "But we do not see the concerns expressed by them that these arms will fall into the hands of terrorists.

Read more ....

More News On Russian Arms Sales to Syria

Russia to honor deal to sell P-800 anti-ship missiles to Syria -- RIA Novosti
Russia to sell missiles to Syria -- UPI
Russia to sell Syria anti-ship cruise missiles -- BBC
Russia: We will provide Syria with advanced missiles, despite Israel, U.S. protests -- Haaretz
Russia to supply Syria with cruise missiles -- AFP
Israel Tried To Block Russian Arms Deal With Syria -- CBS
Russia to supply missiles to Syria, despite Israel protest -- Jerusalem Post
Russia 'irresponsible' for selling arms to Syria: Israel -- Breitbart/AFP