News
Publish date: September 11, 1998
Written by: Thomas Nilsen
News
As of 15:30 p.m. GMT: The 19 years old sailor who shot his mates has entrenched himself in the torpedo compartment of the submarine and threatens to blow up one of the torpedoes. The Russian security police FSB and the Commanders of the Northern fleet is negotiating with him. His parents are now reported to be at the site, trying to convince him to give up.
The number of dead people is now reported to be nine.
If he blows up one of the torpedoes onboard the submarine, the explosion could be so strong that the reactor compartment will be damaged, and as a result of this there may be releases of radioactivity. The wind direction from Skalisty is for the time being to the north-west.
The Akula has a total of 40 torpedoes. The distance from the torpedo compartment to the reactor compartment is between 50 and 60 metres.
Throughout the past year, our mission at the Bellona Environmental Transparency Center has focused on two key, but intertwined issues—nuclear and radiation safety as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drags on, and the worldwide influence of Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear corporation, which itself is actively involved in the war and has participated in the occupation of a Ukrainian nuclear power plant.
At the beginning of the year, reports in the German and Russian press suggested an approximate 70% increase in uranium imports from Russia to Germany in 2024. But does this reflect broader European trends? It does not. Overall, imports of uranium and nuclear fuel from Russia to Western countries actually dropped sharply in 2024. Unlike the situation in Germany, this is already an established trend.
A Lingen, Germany plant could begin producing nuclear fuel in cooperation with a subsidiary of Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear corporation, which is directly involved in the war in Ukraine and occupying the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
In this news digest, we monitor events that impact the environment in the Russian Arctic. Our focus lies in identifying the factors that contribute to pollution and climate change.