Antipov also criticised foreign donors for failing to provide promised financing to decommission nuclear vessels. However, this fact does not have influence on the dismantling itself, he added. The money foreign donors failed to provide must be directed at restoration of military objects, former bases of the Russian Navy where radioactive waste is situated, as well as restoration of the contaminated territories. «This part of the problem is far more expensive (than the scrapping of the nuclear subs) and is more complicated to fulfil,» Antipov said.

The official said that Russia planned to scrap all the rest of its nuclear subs till 2010. Russia has obliged to allocate $600 million for the utilization and has allocated $200 million so far. Other countries that take part in the program have allocated $1 billion till the end of 2005.