Kurchatov Institute
(Moscow). 
Research reactors; research on weapons-grade materials.
Yes.
Hundreds of kgs of HEU including approximately 70 kg of weapons-grade HEU.
Unsafeguarded.
Kurchatov was the center of the crash nuclear
program Stalin ordered to catch up with the Americans after Hiroshima. It has
over 30 buildings housing nuclear material, spread acros 25 acres and less than
ten miles from the Kremlim. In a 1994 interview, Dr. Vladimir Sukhoruchkin of
the Kurchatov Institute, stated that in addition to having "35 facilities, 7
research reactors, 9 storage areas, 44 hot cells, and a number of waste materials
areas," the Institute also possessed 50 tons of natural uranium, 50 tons of LEU,
and several hundred kilograms of HEU. An eighth research reactor (employing LEU)
is under construction. Four of Kurchatov's current seven research reactors are
known to employ weapons-grade HEU (enriched to 90%). Three of these are designed
to use 2-4 kg of HEU, while a fourth, a 40 MWt pond-type reactor, uses between 4
kg and 22 kg of weapons-grade HEU. In addition, two research reactors are fueled
with weapons-usable HEU: a 125 kWt reactor using 4-23 kg of HEU enriched to
36-90% and a 300 KWt reactor fueled that uses 17-23 kg of HEU enriched to 36%
U-235.
In mid-1994, the Institute launched a pilot program to improve
physical protection for fissile material at the site. The U.S. Department of
Energy is continuing implementation of a model Material Protection Control
& Accountability program at Building 116. An automated fissile material
accounting system is now in operation. A remote monitoring demonstration took
place in March 1995 and current projects include upgrades to the central storage
facility and the Gas Plant, as well as completion of an institute-wide upgrade
plan.
