News
Publish date: November 9, 1997
Written by: Igor Kudrik
News
The conflict heated up again last week, when a Ministry of Defence inspection, attending the shipyard on November 5, left without any decent promises to provide funding. Instead, the yard was advised to start implementing a free market economy, and stop begging from the Ministry of Defence.
According to the Zvezda labour union, the Ministry of Defence debts for works performed now amount to almost 11 million USD. Both repairs on nuclear-powered submarines and decommissioning of laid-up subs have practically reached a stand-still this year.
On June 30, 300 angry and desperate workers of Zvezda yard blocked the Trans- Siberian railway for several hours. As a result, the state allocated 1.8 million USD to cover some 10% of the total salary debts.
An accident aboard numerous Volgoneft oil tankers in the Kerch in mid December clearly show what can happen to aged ships when they are operated in bad weather—and when economic and military objectives are prioritized over the lives of crews and environmental safety.
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.
A survey of events in the field of nuclear and radiation safety relating to Russia and Ukraine.
A visit last week by Vladimir Putin and a Kremlin entourage to Astana, Kazakhstan sought in part to put Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear corporation, on good footing with local officials.