CND Press Roundup Wednesday 7th December 2022

War in Ukraine / NATO

• Hamish de Bretton-Gordon and Tory MP Bob Seely have a comment in The Telegraph on the threat of nuclear weapons proliferation, concluding: “We must get our eyes back on the ‘nuclear ball’ at this time of proliferation and heightened threat. It is vital that all the checks and balances are in place to ensure that mistakes or miscalculations do not accidentally trigger catastrophe. NATO must work directly with Russia and China to ensure this. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is our best hope to contain this threat, but it needs our undivided attention amid the noise of lesser events currently focusing our politicians. The war in Ukraine and the nuclear conundrum must be resolved as the priority by our leaders; if not, everything else vexing us at the moment will simply be irrelevant.”

• The Mirror cites claims that 87 percent of Russia’s nuclear weapons stockpile have “restrictions in their use” and are mostly unusable, with many warheads comparable to “nuclear waste.”

• Russia is running out of drones supplied by Iran for use in Ukraine but expects to be re-supplied, according to warnings from Western officials. The drones have been used to target Ukrainian energy infrastructure as a cheaper alternative to cruise missiles.

• However, Ukraine’s presidential adviser said Iranian support to Russia could fall short of sending Moscow ballistic missiles – thanks to diplomatic pressure and Tehran’s own domestic pressures. Mykhailo Podolyak added that Russia was running low on its own stocks of cruise missiles and currently only had enough supply for “two or three” more mass strikes.

AUKUS

• Australia has unveiled plans to upgrade airfields and and bases to facilitate more rotations of US bombers and fighter aircraft to the country.

Nuclear Weapons

• Following a recent Pentagon report claiming China is looking to increase its nuclear arsenal threefold, Popular Science looks at the status of nuclear weapons globally.

Trident

• CND’s website has a news item on the revelation that Britain’s nuclear submarines are spending record amounts of time at sea.

UK Nuclear Energy

• Not available on their website, but The Times recently reported on concerns within the Treasury that a government commitment to fund new nuclear projects will lead to cuts in other infrastructure projects. They did however post a poll on whether readers supported nuclear power.

• Politics Home runs a comment from the chief of the Nuclear Industry Association on the need for Great British Nuclear.

• Susan Johnson has been appointed as the new Chair of the Civil Nuclear Police Authority (CNPA).

• Two seals are refusing to leave the forebay area of the Sizewell B nuclear plant, despite attempts by the Marine and Wildlife Rescue charity to return the seals to the sea.