News
Publish date: April 19, 1996
News
From tha Canadian delegations press conference Apr. 19.
Q: Will you raise the case of Alexander Nikitin, the environmentalist who is in jail right now because of the researching he is doing about the environmental problems in Russia. A lot of people around the world are concerned about that. Are you concerned about it?
A: Yes, and we have made some representation. The Ambassador has discussed with the government and the information I have is that his movement has received some protection to operate here and if he is accused, of course, in front of the court, we have been assumed that he will have a fair trail and with normal defense in court. Of course, the law of one country is the law of one country, and the enforcement of the law within one country is the responsibility of the local government.
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.