• 09/03
• 07/03

07/29/2005

U.S., Russian Lab Directors Meet
SOURCE: NNSA News July 2005

Administrator Linton Brooks joined directors of the U.S. and Russian weapons laboratories at their June biennial meeting in Siberia at the All-Russian Institute of Technical Physics (VNIITF). The meeting coincided with the 50th anniversary of the founding of Russia’s second nuclear weapons lab, which is located in Snezhinsk near the Ural Mountains, about 1,000 miles east of Moscow. (During the Cold War, VNIITF was known as Chelyabinsk-70). NNSA lab representatives included Bruce Goodwin, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory associate director for Defense and Nuclear Technologies; Don Cobb, the deputy director of Los Alamos National Laboratory; and Tom Hunter, the president of Sandia National Laboratories. Russian laboratory directors who attended were G.N. Rykovanov, the director of VNIITF, R.I. Ilkaev, the director of All- Russian Institute of Experimental Physics (or VNIIEF-- this laboratory was known as Arzamas-16 during the Cold War), and Yu.N. Barmakov, the director of the Institute of Automatics or VNIIA. L. Ryabev represented Rosatom. During the director’s session, the U.S. and Russian laboratory leaders discussed cooperative work in basic science and joint threat reduction efforts. Participants said they recognize the value of this work and want it to continue. Prior to the afternoon meeting of the U.S. and Russian laboratory directors, an international conference was held with directors from the nuclear laboratories of the five original declared nuclear weapons states-- the United States, Great Britain, Russia, China and France. The meeting largely consisted of a discussion of nuclear weapons policy in the 21st century and representatives of several of the nations offered their views.

10/15/2003

Israeli Detained in Novosibirsk in Possession of Scientific Information

The Federal Security Service and customs officials at the Tolmachevo airport in Novosibirsk removed a computer disc from an Israeli citizen passing through customs that contained scientific developments of the Siberian branch of the Russian academy of sciences. While going through customs, the Israeli citizen could not explain the origins of the disc. The disc has been sent for examination.
"A decision on pressing charges, criminal or administrative, will be made based on the results of the examination," a representative of the Novosibirsk branch of the Federal Security Service told Interfax. It has to be determined whether the information on the disc is related to state secrets. The Israeli citizen was not detained, the source noted.

 

10/13/2003

Reorganization of Minatom and VNIIEF: more new project, limited funding

Director Il’kaev thinks that VNIIEF soon will have a lot of new projects as it has been for the last several years; and VNIIEF has serious large-scale plans for growth. Director Il’kaev said that the institute believes that the closed status of the city should be retained and that this position of the institute has a full support of all agencies and authorities which interface with the institute. He also noted that retaining of the closed status depends not only on the institute and federal authorities but on local residents as well, on their consciousness and discipline; and the fact that the city has quite high level of crime and heavy crimes is of concern. This level of crime is of concern because it relates to security of the facility. He also said that the salaries of the low-paid VNIIEF employees would not be raised since the institute is not a budget organization (beg Oct 1, minimum wages of employees at budget organizations would be increased by 33%).

10/13/2003

Sarov has a high level of crimes

Recently VNIIEF director R. Il’kaev said that a high level of crimes in Sarov could lead to question whether the city should remain closed and that the city should demand high quality work from its law enforcement agencies and local administration. If the city status changes from closed to open, there would be less money flowing into the city [it is widely believed that the money is a source of crimes gb]. The director believes that the city should retain its closed city and the institute would use all its resources to keep it, nevertheless he is concerned about crimes.
PS According to City Courier of Sarov, in the week of September 29-October 5 the following cases were registered: 1 murder, 34 thefts, 9 cases of intentional harm to someone, 8 beatings, 1 threat of murder, 2 cases of slander, 1- swindling, 1 disorderly conduct, 5 cars were taken, 1 case of drug seizure, property of 10 people were intentionally damaged, 6 cases of stolen or damaged documents, 3 people did not pay aliments, and 11 other cases.
*An old 120-mm artillery mine without a fuse and explosives was found in Sarov near a pond.

10/13/2003

A criminal case against swindlers who tried to sell weapons-grade Pu in Sarov continues

The city court in Sarov reached the final phase of deliberations regarding a criminal case of alleged theft of weapons grade Pu from the secret storage facility in Sarov. The perpetrators: 51yo V. Blinov, who works in a commercial company and 36 yo investigator of Sarov’s Office of Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) S. Denisevich were apprehended as a result of the successful operation performed by the regional FSB office in N. Novgorod region.
Several months ago, resident of N. Novgorod Markin came to the FSB office and told them that he was cheated by Blinov and Denisevich (Denisenko? some publications). Markin was going to buy a large batch of weapons grade plutonium, which accomplices of Blinov and Denisevich were going to steal from the Sarov’s special storage facility. Markin paid $50,000 to Blinov and Denisevich (or Denisenko) to organize the theft and was going to pay $750,000 upon receiving the plutonium. During one of their meeting, Denisevich (or Denisenko) came dressed in old military uniform and showed an expired and “fixed” military ID; Denisevich (or Denisenko) and Blinov also showed the container made to house Pu. Then Blinov and Denisevich (or Denisenko) took $50K and disappeared.
The Prosecutor’s office of Sarov opened a criminal investigation of S. Denisevich (or Denisenko) and charged him with swindling (art. 159) and abuse of the office (art. 285) and of V. Blinov who was charged with swindling (art 159). During the investigation, the officials looked into a possible theft of nuclear materials and concluded that it did not happen (the perpetrators did not have any materials for sale).

10/10/2003

Radiation Monitoring Equipment To Be Installed in Arkhangelsk Ports

Radiation control equipment is to be installed in every port of Arkhangelsk.
The United States has assigned about $1 million for the production of the equipment at a plant in Dubna in the Moscow region, sources in the Arkhangelsk administration told Interfax. The equipment will be installed in accordance with an agreement between the U.S. customs and the Russian State Customs Committee. Trucks, which deliver export commodities, as well as people will pass through radiation control. "The United States initiated radiation control in Russia fearing that radioactive materials might be brought to the U.S.," head of the department for customs control of fissile radioactive materials Andrei Burdin has said.

10/10/2003

Police Believe Car Packed With Explosives Parked Outside Moscow Hotel

[No dateline, as received] There is a car parked outside Minsk hotel [in Moscow] that may have an explosive device inside it, the Moscow city main interior directorate has told Ekho Moskvy radio. The area around the car has been cordoned off by the police. A team of mine disposal experts have left for the scene of the incident. [Editor's Note: The Minsk hotel is in the block directly adjacent to the Marriot Grand, between the Grand and TGIF

10/10/2003

Watchdog: Corruption in Russia Grew Worse

Corruption has been critically high in Russia and only worsened this year, according to a report released Tuesday by the Berlin-based corruption watchdog group Transparency International. Russia ranked 88th of the 133 countries included in the group's annual Corruption Perceptions Index, on par with Algeria and Pakistan. Finland held on to last year's top spot as the least corrupt country and Bangladesh ranked the last. In the past two surveys, Russia also found itself toward the bottom of the heap, ranking 79th out of 91 countries in 2001 and 82nd out of 99 in 2000.

 

10/8/2003

Russia: Container of Radioactive Material Stolen in Noyabrsk

The search goes on in Noyabrsk for the container of cesium, stolen from the base of OAO [joint-stock company of the open type] Kholmogorneft on the night of 25 September, Interfax reports, with reference to the UVD YaNAO [Internal Affairs Administration of the Yamalo-Nenetsk Autonomous Okrug]. At the present time, there are several dosimetric control groups operating in the city. They have already investigated 90 percent of the housing fund and industrial zone of Noyabrsk, and inspected around 600 units of automotive transport on the roads leading out of the city. Moreover, the railroad station and the Noyabrsk airport are under special surveillance of workers of the dosimetric services. The guard at the city's water intake facility has also been increased, and dosimetric control is regularly performed there. OAO Kholmogorneft associates discovered on 25 September that the cesium-filled container had been stolen from the base. According to preliminary data, that night, the perpetrators broke the lock on the metal transport container belonging to the Shlumberge firm, and stole the lead vessel in which the cesium was stored.

10/8/2003

PUTIN CRITICIZES U.S. VISA RESTRICTIONS AGAINST RUSSIANS...

In an interview with "The New York Times," the Russia text of which was published at http://www.kremlin.ru on 7 October, President Putin sharply criticized new regulations restricting the entry of foreigners into the United States. He said the consular officials at the U.S. embassy in Moscow ask Russians "stupid questions" such as whether they are prostitutes or if they are involved in terrorist organizations. "This is complete nonsense," Putin said, "which has nothing to do with the realistic tasks of combating terrorism." Putin said that U.S. security agencies should ask for information about Russian citizens from Russian secret services. "Nobody works better on our territory than our special services," Putin said.

10/7/2003

Radioactive Powder Recovered in Murmansk Could Have Been Used for 'Dirty' Bomb

A radioactive substance seized by the law-enforcement agencies from Aleksandr Tyulyakov, deputy director of the Murmansk Atomflot Federal State Unitary Enterprise, who was arrested in early September, could have been used by terrorists to manufacture a proper nuclear bomb. That is the result of an expert investigation commissioned by the special services to study the extent of the danger and the sphere of application of the substance that Mr. Tyulyakov was trying to sell for $55,000. Vyacheslav Gudkov has studied the experts' findings.
Kommersant has already reported the arrest of 50-year-old Aleksandr Tyulyakov, who was charged at the beginning of this week with the unlawful acquisition and storage of radioactive materials (see our 30 September issue). Let me remind you that the Atomflot deputy director was arrested at the beginning of September in a joint operation by the Murmansk Oblast Internal Affairs Directorate and FSB [Federal Security Service] Directorate, attempting to sell a radioactive substance. The only thing that has been officially reported about this criminal case is that the radioactive substance confiscated from the deputy director contains uranium-235, uranium-238, radium-226, and the disintegration products of these elements.

10/7/2003

Russia's First Submarine Museum To Open in Moscow

Russia's first submarine turned into a museum will be moored on Moscow's Khimki water reservoir along with the escort ship Druzhny, the director of the Museum of Submarine Fleet, which has yet to be created, Alexander Iskra said He told Itar-Tass on Saturday, "The diesel submarine that has been brought over from the Northern Fleet and the escort ship that has ended its mission in the Baltics will make up the core of the Moscow military and patriotic museum complex." After long debates it was decided to open the new museum on Khimki water reservoir, almost across from the Northern River Port not far from the metro station Skhodnenskaya in the northwest of the city.

10/7/2003

Russia: Skinhead Party Headquarters Destroyed by Bomb of Unknown Origin

An explosion destroyed the apartment headquarters of the People's National Party (NNP), the radical patriotic organization that joins most of the Moscow skinheads under its wing. The headquarters lost its windows, doors, and party accessories, while NNP leader Aleksandr Ivanov lost his eyes. The blast rang out on Friday at about 2000 hours in the evening. According to the testimony of neighbors, at first the window and frame flew out of the little 20-meter "one-roomer," located on the second floor of Building No 4 on Bolshoy Kondratyevskiy Pereulok. There was no fire, but the blast wave blew everything in the room outside: books, portraits, and banners with Nazi symbols were spread all over the courtyard. Rescue workers who arrived quickly tore off the metal door, which was hanging by one hinge, and led Aleksandr Ivanov, who was holding a bloody handkerchief to his face, into the hall. According to the preliminary theory, a 200-gram charge of TNT or some kind of explosive device based on it exploded in the victim's apartment.
Theoretically the bomb could have been planted under the "chief Russianist" by those whose removal from Moscow he has been persistently demanding for several years now. It is not ruled out that the skinheads themselves were planning some kind of trouble for their enemies: they bought a bomb and brought it to their headquarters. But since no one knew how to handle it, they trusted Mr. Ivanov himself to assemble the device. And it turned out that he did not know how either

10/7/2003

Russian MVD Investigation Committee Unperturbed by Find of Old 'Bugs' in Ceiling

Yesterday the personnel of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs Investigation Committee took a long time to recover after carefully studying... what had fallen on them from above. "Bugs" fell upon their heads from on high, that is, from the ceiling. No, not members of the insect world but small microphones that bad people generally fit in secret places to eavesdrop on other, good people.
The point is that scheduled refurbishment began on the second floor of the building on Gazetnyy Pereulok. And on Wednesday [1 October] construction workers began stripping the floors. There was such a racket that the ceilings and walls on the first floor vibrated. Whereupon something kind of sensational happened. These "bugs" flew down from the first floor onto the investigators' heads: In some offices there was just one, in others several.
Yesterday the investigators had finally gotten over the shock and were studying the mini-UFO's. One of them told Moskovskiy Komsomolets that all the listening devices, the size of a 10-kopek piece, were of a fairly old design but were in full working order. That is, they were designed either for the previous occupants of the "bad" offices (prior to 1995 this building housed the State Automobile Inspectorate Administration and before that the MVD Political Administration) or for the current investigators.

10/6/2003

Mayak opened its doors to reporters.

The management of Mayak is interested in objective information published about the combine in the press; so it decided to hold an Open doors day for reporters on Sept 17. The reporters who came saw the Techa cascade, abandoned construction site of the South-Urals NPP, storage facility for fissile materials and a radwaste vitrification shop.

10/6/2003

Seversk
An improvised explosion device was found near “Yagodka” bus stop; it was made out of a TNT disk, a coffee can, some cut nails and screws and was held together by glue.
175 people were laid off from Seversk day care facilities due to restructuring of a Seversk enterprise.

---

9/25/2003

OFFICIALS DISCUSS NEW WAYS OF COMBATING MONEY LAUNDERING...

Security Council Deputy Secretary Vyacheslav Soltaganov said on 16 September that capital flight from Russia last year amounted to $12 billion, about half the $24.8 billion estimated to have left Russia in 1999, Prime-TASS reported. He said that Russia's shadow economy accounts for 20 percent-25 percent of its GDP.
9/26/2003
Russian FSB Denies Tracking of Mobile Phone Text Messaging
The Federal Security Service (FSB) has denied media reports that Russian special services are allegedly keeping track of SMS messages sent from mobile phones. "These reports do not correspond to reality. The FSB is working in strict compliance with Russian legislation," FSB spokesman Sergey Ignatchenko told Interfax on Thursday.

9/24/2003

Russian Security Service Seeks to Monitor Mobile Phone Text Messages

The Federal Security Service [FSB] is stepping up the monitoring of electronic communications. A system has been developed in Moscow for automatically checking text messages. The special services report that a black list has been drawn up of words and expressions that could be used by criminals and terrorists. A special computer network will check all text messages sent by mobile phone. If a suspect word is encountered, the message will enter a data bank and be passed on to special service staff. The system is currently being tested. During this time, messages containing words on the black list may not reach the addressee.

9/24/2003

Russian Minister: US To Continue Funding Conversion Projects in 'Atomic Cities'

The Unites States will continue the funding of unfinished conversion projects of Russia's "atomic cities", but without extending a respective intergovernmental accord that expires on September 22 after its five years in existence, Russian Nuclear Power Minister Alexander Rumyantsev and American Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham declared in Moscow on Thursday. Under a passed protocol, the US will continue financing 69 facilities in Russia's three nuclear research cities - Sarov, Snezhensk and Zheleznogorsk. Rumyantsev told Itar-Tass that "of all earlier planned projects, the American side has financed 18 already completed projects in the amount of 15 million dollars". Moscow has declared that an "increase in the number of projects of this kind is not planned in the nearest future", he said.

9/24/2003

U.S.-Russian Liability Dispute Could Bode Ill for Threat Reduction Programs

Monday, September 22, 2003
WASHINGTON – As a key U.S.-Russian measure to reduce the threat of nuclear proliferation expires today, observers are concerned the thorny legal questions that sank the agreement could have broader repercussions, ultimately increasing the risk that Russian nuclear technology, materials or know-how could fall into the wrong hands.
Washington is refusing to renew the Nuclear Cities Initiative agreement, which expires today, because of concerns that liability language in the agreement is inadequate to protect U.S. officials or workers in case of injuries or damages arising from activities carried out under the initiative. The move follows the related expiration in July of the Plutonium Science and Technology agreement, another U.S.-Russian threat reduction measure (see GSN, July 25).
NCI is a vehicle for the United States to help Russia decrease activity at nuclear weapon sites, converting some of them to other uses. The U.S. Energy Department has described the program on its Web site as “the only U.S. government program whose primary aim is to help downsize the Russian nuclear weapons complex.”
Sixty-nine NCI projects will continue until completion, despite the end of the pact itself, under an agreement signed Friday in Moscow by U.S. and Russian energy officials (see GSN, Sept. 19). No new projects envisioned by the initiative will begin, though, and U.S. officials expressed concern that the liability dispute could drag on, ultimately affecting Washington’s ability to reduce the Russian proliferation threat.

9/23/2003

MVD Institutes Additional Security Measures for Transportation

-- Because of the threat of terrorist attacks, the MVD has instituted additional security measures on Russian transport. Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Aleksandr Chekalin reported that their will be more checkpoints at airports and rail stations, and there will be more police officers patrolling the stations. Bomb sniffing dogs will pass through waiting rooms, pedestrian tunnels, and rail platforms several times a day. Documents and baggage will be inspected thoroughly, especially for passengers arriving from the North Caucasus region. Additional video cameras will be installed in waiting rooms, train platforms, and trading points. Tapes will be recording 24 hours a day to help control access to sensitive areas and to spot suspicious behavior. Chekalin said the largest train stations, airports, bus station, and river ports will have the highest police presence.

9/23/2003

About 30 criminal bosses arrived to have a meeting in a café on the site of Taman’ division but their plans were destroyed by arriving police. The investigation was opened on how they received an access to the Defense Ministry closed site.

9/22/2003

Minatom’s finances took a beating in 2003

For the Jan-Aug period, Minatom contributed RUR 12.5B to the federal budget, which corresponds to 83% of its nine-months quota, and Minatom Fund earned RUR 9.5B, which is 75.7% of its nine-months goal figure.

9/16/2003

Russian Draft Law on Foreign Intelligence Service Stresses Patriotism, Ideology

By the end of its last session, the State Duma will pass a law regulating personnel selection for intelligence officers. If anyone thinks that this law is about a Russian James Bond, then he is mistaken. The author of the document, Aleksey Aleksandrov, explained to Gazeta.Ru that the main thing is to love one's homeland; moreover, one needs to learn to do so not in the SVR [Foreign Intelligence Service], but in grade school.
"The essence of the draft law is in improving the personnel selection process in Russia's foreign intelligence. In particular, in forming a list of requirements for candidates for service in foreign intelligence bodies," explained the head of the Subcommittee on State Security Problems and Unity faction member Aleksey Aleksandrov.
Only a "citizen of Russia having no other citizenship and who is capable in his professional and personal capacities, his age, education, and level of professional training and state of health to perform his assigned duties" may become an agent of the Foreign Intelligence Service; that is, a spy.
To get into the holy of holies -- the Foreign Intelligence Academy -- was never easy, and is still not easy. Few have a brilliant mastery of foreign languages, a broad education, and strong health. The main thing in selecting future students for the AVR [Foreign Intelligence Academy] is to establish their motivation for entering SVR service. The results of tests and sociological surveys show that the desire to realize one's abilities now basically attracts entrants to the Academy. Further are the desire to serve one's homeland and the stability of the SVR as a special type of state organization.
Gazeta.Ru's correspondent got in touch with the head of the subcommittee, which formerly was called the Subcommittee on State Security and the Foreign Intelligence Service. The first thing he wanted clarified was how, with the passage of Aleksandrov's law, foreign citizens would work for our intelligence. Aleksandrov explained that although they would not be SVR employees, different status would permit them to continue their work. The law promises no substantial changes for the remaining intelligence officers. According to the deputy, the draft law only fills a gap in the legislation, and the specific requirements for personnel selection would be spelled out in departmental instructions.
And although the draft law provides maximally broad criteria on who may become an intelligence officer, Aleksandrov explained who will be taken into the SVR: "He should be a person who is very bright within and ordinary on the outside in order not to draw attention to himself. First, he should love his homeland. The state is patriotism above all. This person must work for the state, including a democratic-legal state. Second is professionalism. Ideology should be in first place, and material support in second."

9/10/2003

Computer Center Opens in Russian Nuclear Township Snezhinsk

A computer center was opened in Snezhinsk, a Russian nuclear physics town, on Friday. It took three years of combined efforts of Russia and the United States to open the center under the general program of conversion of nuclear townships. About 100 nuclear physicists, who become redundant in the reduction of the military program, will be employed at the center. The first seven projects the United States has ordered to the center are being implemented, scientific chief of the Russian Federal Nuclear Center Academician Yevgeny Avrorin told Itar-Tass.

9/10/2003

Russian Railways Minister Orders Tighter Security on Regional Railways

Minister of Railways Gennady Fadeyev, who is in charge of the investigation into Wednesday's commuter train bombing outside Kislovodsk, has ordered the heads of regional railways to focus on the prevention of violations and crimes in the industry. The Ministry of Railways is preparing additional measures to monitor commuter train embarkation and disembarkation, assign policemen to escort each train, and prevent unauthorised access to railway tracks. Fadeyev said special attention will be paid to preventing unlawful actions in crowded places at railway stations and commuter train platforms, as well as on trains.

Sep 8-12

Ecoinform-2003 conference in Moscow; Minatom is against “information terrorism”

On the conference, deputy Minister Govorukhin talked about “information terrorism” when the wrong information supplied to the people can have the same impact or even more than a regular terrorist act.
Russian Parliament wants more data from Minatom
The State Duma asked the Russian government to develop and present to the Parliament provisions on management of nuclear materials. It also asked the government to provide a report, annually prepared by Minatom and sent to the government, on the status of the NM state control and accounting system and containing quantities of NM in Russia in 2001-2002. Plus, the legislators want the information on contracts, which include usage of NM, profits generated by using NM and expected profits from such contracts in 2003.

---

7/28/03

Liability issues threaten nuclear security programs U.S. seeking better terms in 2 agreements with Russia
By Peter Eisler, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration has decided not to renew two U.S.-Russian agreements that form the basis for cooperative efforts to cut plutonium stockpiles and keep Russia's nuclear weapons material -- and expertise -- out of terrorists' hands.

The administration wants stronger liability protections than the 10-year-old agreements provide for U.S. agencies and contractors that work in Russia on the security projects. It is trying to negotiate new terms. The decision not to renew the agreements may provide leverage to get the Russians to accept new terms.

The impasse threatens to derail two programs that send Russia hundreds of millions of dollars to secure nuclear material and employ weapons scientists in peaceful jobs. President Bush has hailed those efforts as a key tool to prevent enemy states and terrorist groups from obtaining nuclear arms -- or luring cash-strapped Russian scientists to help them.

''This is a big deal,'' says one administration official who is involved in the negotiations. The affected programs will continue to run at least through the end of this year even though their agreements will have expired, he adds, but ''this has to be resolved for these programs to proceed'' in the long term.

Officials at the White House and State Department declined to comment on the record.
At issue are:

U.S. officials want to ensure that Russia will not take legal action against the United States or its contractors if something goes wrong on one of the projects. This might include an accident in handling nuclear material that could cause injuries or environmental damage.
But there has been little headway in three years of negotiations, according to several administration and congressional officials. Russian officials could not be reached over the weekend for comment.

Some supporters of the programs want the administration to renew the legal agreements as they exist now. New liability protections could then be negotiated later without risking a shutdown of the programs, they say.

In a letter to Bush last week, Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri, senior Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, warned against setting up a situation in which the nuclear security programs could collapse. ''We urge your administration not to adopt a position so rigid,'' said the letter, signed by four other Democratic members of Congress.

The stakes are especially high on the MOX project, perhaps the most ambitious and costly of the various ''threat reduction'' initiatives run by U.S. agencies to help stop the spread of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons technology from former Soviet states. If an agreement isn't reached and funding stops for the Russian part of the project, work on the U.S. MOX plant also would stall. It is supposed to be built at the same time as the plant in Russia.

''That's precisely why we're continuing work under these programs'' while talks continue, says Bryan Wilkes, spokesman for the National Nuclear Security Administration, which runs the programs. ''We believe these legal issues can be worked out.''

The administration wants the programs covered by the same liability terms that govern virtually all other U.S. threat-reduction initiatives in Russia -- language that gives U.S. agencies and contractors blanket protection from lawsuits.

The two agreements in question allow Russia to take legal action if there is a problem.

7/27/2003

Ukraine sells Soviet missiles to Russia
By Vladimir Isachenkov, Associated Press,

MOSCOW -- Moving to bolster its strategic might despite financial problems, Russia has acquired Soviet-built ballistic missiles from Ukraine and is preparing to begin producing a new generation of nuclear submarines, officials said Friday.

Ukraine inherited the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal with the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, but later renounced nuclear weapons and transferred all of its 1,300 nuclear warheads to Russia for destruction. It has also dismantled most of its Soviet-made strategic missiles with US financial assistance, but reportedly retained about 30 of the SS-19 missiles.

The Ukrainian government decided in October to sell its SS-19s to Russia, and Russia's Interfax-Military News Agency reported Friday that the transfer had been completed.
A spokesman for Ukraine's Ukrspetsexport company refused to comment on the report or say how many missiles were involved. A spokesman for Russia's Strategic Missile Forces confirmed Russia had received the missiles, but declined to say how many.

In a similar deal in 1999, Ukraine handed over 11 Soviet-built strategic bombers and several hundred cruise missiles to Russia in partial payment of a debt for Russian natural gas supplies.
SS-19s are among the most modern and powerful Soviet-built missiles, equipped to carry six warheads. According to data provided by Moscow under the START I arms reduction treaty with the United States and released by the US State Department's Bureau of Arms Control, Russia had 150 SS-19s with 900 warheads as of July 31, 2002.

Alexander Pikayev, a nuclear arms analyst with the Carnegie Endowment's Moscow office, called the deal a cheap way for Russia to bolster its strategic arsenal. ''It will allow Russia to save funds that would have to be spent on building expensive new missiles,'' Pikayev said in a telephone interview.

The latest US-Russian nuclear arms reduction agreement, signed in May 2002 by President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin, obligates both sides to cut their strategic nuclear arsenals by about two-thirds, to 1,700 to 2,200 warheads, by 2012.

Russia's ambitious plans to build new Topol-M missiles have been hampered by money problems, and the military has sought to maintain nuclear parity with the United States by extending the life of its Soviet-era missiles. ''The SS-19 is a relatively new missile which can remain in service for a long time,'' Pikayev said.

Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said Friday that in 2006, the navy would receive a new nuclear submarine armed with next-generation intercontinental ballistic missiles currently under development, the Interfax-Military News Agency reported.

The first new submarine, called the Yuri Dolgoruky, will be followed by other submarines of the same type, the agency quoted Ivanov as saying during a trip to northern Russia. He did not say how many would be built.

This story ran on page A16 of the Boston Globe on 7/27/2003.
©Copyright 2003 Globe Newspaper Company.