CND Press Roundup Wednesday 26th October 2022

• The UN nuclear watchdog will inspect two sites linked to Ukraine’s nuclear industry – after unproven claims made by Russia that Kiev was planning to conduct a radioactive “dirty bomb” attack. The visit is being conducted at the request of Ukraine, who are keen to put the rumours to bed – and have thanked the IAEA for its quick response.

• Meanwhile, Moscow handed in a letter to the UN over the “dirty bomb” claims – and also circulated a 310-page document with earlier allegations that Ukraine and NATO allies had been working on a bio weapon.

• US President Joe Biden said Tuesday that Russia would be making an “incredible” mistake if a nuclear weapon was used in Ukraine “Let me just say: Russia would be making an incredible, serious mistake if it were to use a tactical nuclear weapon,” Biden said. “I’m not guaranteeing that it’s a false-flag operation yet. Don’t know, but it would be a serious mistake, a very serious mistake.”

• Meanwhile on Monday night, Biden received a letter from 30 Congress members from the progressive wing of the Democrats – urging him to “make vigorous diplomatic efforts” to bring about a negotiated settlement to the war in Ukraine. The group abruptly changed course on Tuesday – and withdrew their letter following push back from other Democratic lawmakers.

• The Pope was among other religious leaders who called for peace and an end to the “nuclear nightmare” during a ceremony in Rome.

• The Telegraph’s resident CBRN expert Hamish de Bretton-Gordon features in the opinion pages of The Guardian – arguing that the latest “dirty bomb” claims by Russia reflects how poorly the Putin’s forces are performing on the ground in Ukraine.

• Euro News picks up on claims by Ukraine’s nuclear agency that Russia is carrying out clandestine construction work at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.

• Russia has notified the US about its plans to conduct its own nuclear war games – with Washington welcoming the information which is said would lower chances of miscalculation.  

Trident

• Oxford Mail and Witney Gazette picks up on the latest nuclear convoy with comments from Nigel Day: “These convoys travel regularly between Atomic Weapons Establishment Burghfield in Berkshire, the nuclear bomb factory, and Royal Naval Armaments Depot, Coulport, next to the Trident submarine base at Faslane in Scotland. This is the most deadly cargo on our roads.”

British Test Veterans

• Nuclear Free Local Authorities has released a briefing paper on delayed justice for veterans of Britain’s nuclear testing.  

Nuclear Energy

• OilPrice.com has a piece on how rising sea levels threaten coastal nuclear plants in the US. Food for thought for Britain’s own coastal plants.

• The new boss of EDF has told the French parliament that the nuclear power firm will meet the country’s energy needs in December and January – amid concerns that maintenance issues at its ageing fleet of nuclear reactors will lead to blackouts this winter.

• NS Energy republishes an article from Nuclear Engineering International magazine on whether Germany should rethink its plan to move away from nuclear power.

• Canada will make C$970 million ($708 million) in financing available to develop a grid-scale small modular reactor (SMR).

North Korea

• South Korea, the US, and Japan have warned North Korea of an “unparallelled response” if Pyongyang conducts a nuclear weapons test.

Iran Nuclear Deal

• Al Jazeera looks at the impact Iran’s drone sales to Russia for use in Ukraine will have on reviving the nuclear deal.

• Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticised Israel for not selling Kiev its Iron Dome air defence system – adding that the war had brought Russia and Iran closer together.