EUROPEANS EVALUATE NUCLEAR ENVIRONMENTAL THREAT IN MURMANSK.

French and British engineers working for firms retained by the European Union are investigating an aging Russian ship loaded with highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel to see if it constitutes a threat to the region. The ship is anchored in the northern port of Murmansk, home of Russia’s Northern Fleet. A spokeswoman for one of the firms said the situation had been designated a priority by the European Union. She speculated that Moscow had probably intended the ship to be only a temporary storage site, but that Russia had been storing the spent fuel rods on it for up to ten years. The situation could embarrass Russian leaders prior to a summit of G-7 nations planned for Moscow in April, which is to discuss nuclear security. (9)

In a related development, an investigation by the Oslo-based environmental group Bellona into environmental risks posed by the nuclear wastes of the Northern Fleet resulted in the arrest February 6 of retired Russian captain Aleksandr Nikitin on charges of espionage. The arrest led a German parliamentarian to charge that Russia had violated Nikitin’s human rights. (See Monitor, February 13)

Former Acting Procurator General Arrested on Criminal Charges.