Tag: Nuclear

Bulgaria moves to replace Russia nuclear fuel supplies

Bulgaria’s sole nuclear power plant signed a nuclear fuel supply deal with a French firm on Friday in efforts to replace shipments from Russia in the wake of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The state-owned Kozloduy plant on the Danube river currently relies on Russian fuel for its two Soviet-built 1,000-megawatt reactors. Under a 10-year agreement signed Friday, Framatome, a subsidiary of French energy giant EDF, will supply nuclear fuel to Kozloduy’s unit 5 reactor from […]

Pres. Putin: “Not crazy, won’t deploy nukes first”

Moscow, Russia (AFP) Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that nuclear tensions were rising, though he insisted “we have not gone crazy” and Moscow would not be the first to deploy atomic weapons in the Ukraine conflict. Speaking more than nine months after his forces launched their military operation, Putin warned the conflict could be “lengthy”. Russian forces have missed most of their key military goals since February, raising fears that the battlefield stalemate could […]

Invasion of Ukraine revives nuclear warfare nightmare

by Cecile FEUILLATRE Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Banished from public consciousness for decades, the nightmare of nuclear warfare has surged back to prominence with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, highlighting the erosion of the Cold War global security architecture. With Moscow on the back foot in its offensive, the military stalemate has raised fears Russia could resort to its nuclear arsenal to achieve a military breakthrough. Russia, along with Britain, China, France and the […]

N.Korean leader says will respond to threats with nuclear weapons

  Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he would respond to US threats with nuclear weapons, state media said Saturday, after Kim personally oversaw Pyongyang’s latest launch of intercontinental ballistic missile. Since Kim declared North Korea a “irreversible” nuclear state in September, Washington has ramped up regional security cooperation, including joint military exercises, and is looking for ways to boost the protection it offers Seoul and Tokyo. Kim […]

World ‘holding breath’ over possible NKorea nuclear test: IAEA chief

  United Nations, United States | AFP | The world is holding its breath over the possibility that North Korea might undertake a nuclear bomb test, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Thursday. “Everybody is holding its breath about this, because another nuclear test would be yet another confirmation of a program which is moving full steam ahead, in a way that is incredibly, incredibly concerning,” IAEA head Rafael Grossi said […]

N. Korea nuclear test would meet ‘unprecedented’ response: US, Japan, S. Korea

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — The United States, Japan and South Korea warned Wednesday that a North Korean nuclear test would warrant an “unprecedentedly strong response”, vowing unity after a blitz of missile launches from the hermit state. Following talks in Tokyo, the three nations’ deputy foreign ministers said they would ramp up their deterrence in the region. “We agreed to further strengthen cooperation … so that North Korea can immediately stop its illegal activities and […]

‘About 50’ Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant staff in Russian detention

Kiew, Ukraine | AFP | The head of Ukraine’s state nuclear agency Energoatom said Wednesday that about 50 employees of the Moscow-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine were held in Russian captivity. “More than 150 people from the staff of the plant were captured” since the start of the Russian invasion in late February, Petro Kotin told AFP, adding that “some of them were later released, but there are those whose fate is […]

Russian army will be ‘annihilated’ if Pres. Putin nukes Ukraine: EU Policy Chief Josep Borrell

  Brussels, Belgium | AFP | EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned Moscow on Thursday that its forces would be “annihilated” by the West’s military response if President Vladimir Putin uses nuclear weapons against Ukraine. “Putin is saying he is not bluffing. Well, he cannot afford bluffing, and it has to be clear that the people supporting Ukraine and the European Union and the Member States, and the United States and NATO are not […]

Finland hopes new nuclear reactor eases energy crunch

by Elias HUUHTANEN Agence France-Presse EURAJOKI, Finland (AFP) — After over a decade of delays, the deafening sound of Finland’s new Olkiluoto 3 nuclear reactor finally running its turbine at full power was welcomed with joy — and relief. The Nordic country is hoping the plant will be able to ease the coming winter’s challenges as Europe battles soaring energy prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “It has taken a lot of perseverance and years […]

North Korea’s tactical nukes: Five things to know

Seoul, South Korea | AFP | North Korea announced Monday that its recent spate of missile launches were “tactical nuclear” drills that simulated striking airports and military facilities across the South. Leader Kim Jong Un personally oversaw the exercises, state media said, adding that they showed the country’s nuclear combat forces were “fully ready to hit and wipe out” the enemy. Here is what we know: What are tactical nukes? Tactical nuclear weapons are designed […]

Nuclear ‘Armageddon’ threat back for first time since Cold War: Biden

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — US President Joe Biden said Thursday the world risks nuclear “Armageddon” for the first time since the Cold War and that he is trying to find Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “off-ramp” in the Ukraine conflict. “We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis” in 1962, Biden said at a Democratic party fundraising event in New York. Putin is “not joking” when he […]

Israel PM: World must use force if Iran builds nuclear bomb

UNITED NATIONS, United States (AFP) — The international community should use military force if Iran develops nuclear weapons, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid told the United Nations on Thursday, as he reiterated support for creation of a “peaceful” Palestinian state. Israel has been conducting an intense diplomatic offensive in recent months to try to persuade the United States and main European powers such as Britain, France and Germany not to renew the 2015 Iran nuclear […]